Does Riding A Bike Burn More Fat Than Jogging?

If you want to lose weight, exercise is one of the two most common ways to go about it. That means choosing between different kinds of exercise. Since fat burning is part of weight loss, which exercise burns more fat -- for example, between cycling and running -- is as good a way as any of deciding which exercise to take on.

Fat Burning Basics

Your body burns calories throughout the day, and takes in more calories whenever you eat. If you burn more than you eat, your body accesses extra energy stored as fat. It burns that fat and you lose weight. When asking whether running or cycling burns more fat, you're really asking which exercise burns more calories in a typical session.

Bicycling and Calories

Health resource website Nutristrategy.com provides calorie burn estimates for a variety of exercises. According to Nutristrategy, a 155-lb. person cycling at a moderate pace will burn about 550 calories per hour. At a vigorous pace, that burn goes up to about 700 calories. Heavier people will burn more in the same workout. Lighter people will burn less.

Jogging and Calories

A 155-lb. person jogging at a moderate 10-minute mile pace will burn about 700 calories in one hour, according to Nutristrategy. At a vigorous 8-minute mile, the same person will burn about 900.

Other Considerations

How many calories an exercise burns tells you about the potential for fat burning inherent in that exercise. However, your dietary support, level of intensity, even how much you enjoy the activity will all also play a role. If you eat more, you'll burn less fat. If you work harder, you'll burn more. If you enjoy one activity more than the other, you're more likely to do it regularly enough to reach your weight loss goals.

Bottom Line

Jogging can burn more calories than cycling in terms of an hour-by-hour comparison. However, it will only burn fat if it fits with your schedule and you can commit to it regularly. If you enjoy cycling more than jogging, it will be a better choice because you'll do it more often and more vigorously.