Podcast Episode
Ep. 44 - Exercise Calories Explained: RMR, METs, and the Real Numbers
About this episode
Get A Demo: https://korr.com/contact/video-demo/ How many calories did you really burn during your workout? Your watch says 600. The treadmill says 450. Your app says 700. Who's right? In this episode of Metabolic Mastery, Dr. Marc Humbert and Dr. Cameron Garber break down how exercise calories are estimated, why most methods are flawed, and how metabolic testing using indirect calorimetry changes the game. They explain how resting metabolic rate (RMR), MET values, and predictive equations are used inside software tools, why wearables often overestimate calorie burn, and how VO₂ testing allows clinicians to dial in nutrition and exercise with far greater precision. Most importantly, they discuss how accurate data helps practitioners move from blaming patients to partnering with them — using physiology instead of assumptions to guide better outcomes. What You Will Learn Why exercise calories are always estimates (unless you're in a metabolic chamber) How RMR and METs are used to calculate calorie burn Why wearables can be 28–93% inaccurate The difference between accuracy and precision in tracking data Why exercise only accounts for ~5% of total daily energy expenditure The truth about EPOC and post-workout calorie burn How underfueling leads to RED-S and metabolic downregulation How VO₂ testing personalizes heart rate zones and fuel usage Why accurate data allows clinicians to coach with compassion instead of blame How metabolic testing creates a prescriptive roadmap instead of guesswork Follow KORR: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/korrmedical/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korrmedical/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/korrmedical https://korr.com/ Listen to the Metabolic Mastery Podcast: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/metabolic-mastery/id1812972674 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2sgLMFv1Z8DwEz87yUpapI?si=29a177a6c6ca4ed4 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@korrmed/podcasts YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVCRWXBDdFo_S0OeaAsPv8xTnfajTLc75&si=d4wVUA0jqajkbukB Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d76834b7-c11a-485f-8010-32b490d49e57/metabolic-mastery