{
  "slug": "calories-jump-rope",
  "title": "Calorie Burn — Jump Rope",
  "category": "Energy Expenditure",
  "category_slug": "energy-expenditure",
  "tier": 2,
  "summary": "Estimate calories burned skipping rope from body weight, session time, and skipping cadence.",
  "description": "This calculator estimates rope-skipping energy expenditure using cadence-banded MET values from the Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. It multiplies body weight, time, and the MET for the selected cadence: slow skipping under 100 skips per minute at 8.3 METs (code 15552), moderate 100–120 skips per minute at 11.8 METs (code 15551), fast 120–160 skips per minute at 12.3 METs (code 15550), and double unders at 10.0 METs (code 15554). Secondary rows show the MET, the net-of-resting figure, and the per-minute rate.",
  "page_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/en/tools/energy-expenditure/calories-jump-rope/",
  "api_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/api/tools/calories-jump-rope.json",
  "formula": {
    "id": "calories_jump_rope",
    "expression": "\\text{Calories} = \\text{MET}(\\text{cadence}) \\times w \\times \\frac{t}{60}",
    "variables": [
      {
        "symbol": "w",
        "description": "Weight in kg"
      },
      {
        "symbol": "t",
        "description": "Skipping time in minutes"
      },
      {
        "symbol": "\\text{MET}",
        "description": "8.3, 11.8, 12.3, or 10.0 by cadence (Compendium codes 15552, 15551, 15550, 15554)"
      }
    ]
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "weight_kg",
      "label": "Weight",
      "type": "number",
      "unit": "kg",
      "default": 75,
      "min": 20,
      "max": 300,
      "step": 0.1
    },
    {
      "id": "minutes",
      "label": "Skipping time",
      "type": "number",
      "unit": "min",
      "default": 15,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 300,
      "step": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "cadence",
      "label": "Cadence",
      "type": "select",
      "unit": null,
      "default": 1,
      "options": [
        {
          "label": "Slow, under 100 skips/min (8.3 MET)",
          "value": 0
        },
        {
          "label": "Moderate, 100–120 skips/min (11.8 MET)",
          "value": 1
        },
        {
          "label": "Fast, 120–160 skips/min (12.3 MET)",
          "value": 2
        },
        {
          "label": "Double unders, in sets (10.0 MET)",
          "value": 3
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": {
      "weight_kg": 75,
      "minutes": 15,
      "cadence": 1
    },
    "expected_output": "221 kcal"
  },
  "result_summary_template": "A person weighing {weight_kg} kg who skips rope for {minutes} minutes at the selected cadence burns approximately {result}.",
  "methodology": "Calories = MET × body mass (kg) × duration (hours). MET values from the Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (2024): rope jumping, slow pace, <100 skips/min, two-foot skip, rhythm bounce = 8.3 METs (code 15552); rope jumping, moderate pace, 100–120 skips/min, two-foot skip, plain bounce = 11.8 METs (code 15551); rope jumping, fast pace, 120–160 skips/min = 12.3 METs (code 15550); rope jumping, double under or more = 10.0 METs (code 15554). Net figure = (MET − 1) × mass × hours.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Herrmann SD, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. J Sport Health Sci. 2024;13(1):6–12.",
      "url": "https://pacompendium.com/sports/"
    },
    {
      "label": "Ainsworth BE, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(8):1575–1581.",
      "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21681120/"
    },
    {
      "label": "Jetté M, Sidney K, Blümchen G. Metabolic equivalents (METS) in exercise testing, exercise prescription, and evaluation of functional capacity. Clin Cardiol. 1990;13(8):555–565.",
      "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2204507/"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "How do I know my skipping cadence?",
      "answer": "Count skips for 30 seconds and double the number, or use a counting rope or app that logs total jumps — total jumps divided by minutes gives the average cadence directly. Casual two-foot bouncing typically lands between 100 and 120 skips per minute, which is the 11.8 MET band. Cadences below 100 usually mean deliberate slow work or frequent rope stops, and above 130 requires practised technique."
    },
    {
      "question": "Why is jump rope's calorie rate so high compared with jogging?",
      "answer": "Skipping has no coasting phase — every rope turn demands a takeoff, and the arms and shoulders add continuous work that leg-only locomotion lacks. At a moderate 11.8 METs, rope work costs a 75 kg person about 14.8 kcal per minute, comparable to running near 12 km/h. The catch is sustainability: most people can jog for far longer than they can keep a rope turning, so per-session totals often favour the run."
    },
    {
      "question": "Why do double unders score a lower MET than fast skipping?",
      "answer": "The 10.0 MET double-under entry reflects how the skill is actually performed: in sets with recovery pauses between attempts, since few athletes sustain continuous double unders for minutes. The pauses drag the session average below continuous fast bouncing at 12.3 METs, even though each individual double-under jump costs more than a single. Athletes stringing long unbroken double-under sets exceed the published average."
    },
    {
      "question": "Should the timer include the breaks when the rope catches?",
      "answer": "The published values assume the rope is turning, so the honest input is turning time only. Beginner sessions are interruption-heavy — a 20-minute practice block can contain 10 minutes of actual skipping — and pricing the full block at the band MET roughly doubles the estimate. Jump-count divided by cadence recovers true work minutes when a counting rope or app is available."
    },
    {
      "question": "Does rope weight change the calorie estimate?",
      "answer": "The Compendium bands were measured with ordinary speed ropes and do not distinguish rope mass. Weighted ropes (450 g and up) measurably raise arm and shoulder work at a given cadence, so their true cost sits somewhat above the band value, though published measurements suggest the increment is modest relative to the jumping itself. Selecting the next cadence band up is a rough acknowledgement when training with a heavy rope."
    }
  ],
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    {
      "slug": "calories-hiit",
      "title": "Calorie Burn — HIIT & Circuit Training",
      "api_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/api/tools/calories-hiit.json",
      "page_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/en/tools/energy-expenditure/calories-hiit/"
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    {
      "slug": "calories-boxing",
      "title": "Calorie Burn — Boxing",
      "api_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/api/tools/calories-boxing.json",
      "page_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/en/tools/energy-expenditure/calories-boxing/"
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    {
      "slug": "calories-running",
      "title": "Calorie Burn — Running",
      "api_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/api/tools/calories-running.json",
      "page_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/en/tools/energy-expenditure/calories-running/"
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    {
      "slug": "custom-met-calculator",
      "title": "Custom Activity MET Calculator",
      "api_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/api/tools/custom-met-calculator.json",
      "page_url": "https://fitmetriclab.com/en/tools/energy-expenditure/custom-met-calculator/"
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  ],
  "last_updated": "2026-08-08",
  "price": {
    "value": 0,
    "currency": "USD"
  },
  "runs_in_browser": true,
  "disclaimer": "Educational estimate produced from a published formula. Not medical, nutritional, or training advice. Calculations are deterministic — apply the formula to the inputs to reproduce the result."
}