How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking With Weight? A New Formula May Finally Reveal the Answer.
Men's Health
February 24, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Walking with weight is a popular yet challenging activity to quantify in terms of calories burned. While devices like fitness trackers provide estimates, they often fall short due to the complexity of factors involved. A new study by David Looney, a mathematical physiologist working with the Department of Defense and US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), offers a more accurate formula for calculating calorie burn while walking with weight. This breakthrough is particularly significant for soldiers, who regularly carry heavy backpacks during training or missions. By measuring oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production in participants as they walked on treadmills with varying loads (22%, 44%, or 66% of their body weight) at different speeds (from 1 mph to 4.5 mph), Looney’s research provides a reliable method for determining calorie expenditure that aligns more closely with real-world conditions.
The study also highlights the importance of physical activity in preventing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, which can reduce lifespan by over six years and impair overall quality of life. While diet is often blamed for this condition, lack of movement plays an equally significant role. Walking with weight not only burns calories during the workout but also has long-term benefits by improving metabolic health, building or maintaining muscle mass, and enhancing fat-burning potential. This makes it a valuable addition to any fitness routine, especially for those looking to boost their daily energy expenditure.
Looney’s research is particularly notable for its inclusivity: it included more women than previous studies, addressing the historical imbalance in military and sports science that often focuses on male participants. This broader representation ensures that the findings are applicable to a wider population, including civilian women who increasingly engage in weight-bearing activities for health and fitness. By validating his formula across different groups and environments, Looney has created a tool that is both versatile and reliable, offering users a more precise way to track their efforts and measure progress. For anyone seeking to optimize their workouts or better understand the impact of their exercise on health, this breakthrough provides valuable insights into how walking with weight can enhance metabolic health and longevity.
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Originally published on Men's Health on 2/24/2026