CYCLING VS. RUNNING CALORIES

Cycling and running are both good exercises for burning calories. As with other physical activities, the number of calories burned depends on how much you weigh and how vigorously you perform the activity. In general, the more you weigh, the more calories you burn. You also burn more calories as you increase the rate at which you cycle or run.

Considerations

The calculations used here are for a person weighing approximately 150 to 160 lbs. Persons who weigh more will burn more calories than those listed, and persons who weigh less will burn fewer calories. The numbers of calories burned are estimates, and thus, they aren't exact. Use the estimates to help you compare the number of calories burned when cycling and running for your specific weight and level of activity.

Cycling

If you bicycle at a speed less than 10 miles per hour, which is a leisurely pace, you burn approximately 280 to 290 calories per hour. Cycle between 10 and 14 miles per hour -- a light to moderate pace -- and you'll burn from 420 to 560 calories per hour. Bicycle at a vigorous rate of 14 to 16 miles per hour and you'll burn about 700 calories an hour. Stationary cycling burns fewer calories than biking outdoors. For example, light stationary cycling burns 387 calories per hour, compared to 422 per hour for light outdoor cycling. At the moderate level, cycling outdoors burns about 70 more calories per hour than stationary cycling.

Running

Running or jogging at 5 miles per hour burns 560 to 600 calories per hour. If you increase your speed to 8 to 9 miles per hour, you should burn 950 to 1,000 calories per hour, and at 10 to 11 miles per hour, you'll burn from 1,120 to 1,270 calories per hour. Cross-country running burns about 633 calories per hour, and running up stairs burns 1,056.

Comparison

When performed at approximately the same speeds, running burns about twice as many calories as cycling. If your main concern is getting the most out of your workout in terms of calories burned, running is your best choice. However, running may be harder on your joints than cycling, especially if you are overweight. Cycling keeps the weight off your knees and ankles. Another point to consider is that running doesn't require any special equipment other than a good pair of shoes. For cycling, you need to own a bike or have access to one.

from
http://www.livestrong.com/article/372790-cycling-vs-running-calories/