How Many Calories Do You Burn From A Fart? | Straight Facts

Calories Burned By Passing Gas: Quick Context

Muscles in the pelvic floor and abdomen tighten for a moment to move a small gas pocket. That action does spend energy, yet the amount is so tiny that a single event doesn’t move the daily tally in any meaningful way. Health agencies treat passing gas as a routine body function, not a calorie-burning activity.

What The Body Actually Does

The lower gut fills with gas from two main sources: swallowed air and fermentation of carbohydrates by bacteria. That mix moves along the colon and leaves through the rectum when pressure rises enough for the anal sphincter to relax. Medical overviews such as the NIDDK page on gas lay out this simple chain: create, move, release.

Volume varies through the day. A small clinical study that measured total output over 24 hours found a median of roughly 700 ml, with a wide range among healthy adults. That’s less than a liter spread across many short releases. The muscles that control the exit act fast and then rest again.

Flatus Facts And Energy Math

Item	Typical Range	What It Means
Total Volume Per Day	~0.5–1.5 liters	Measured in healthy adults over 24 hours (bean-enriched diet in study conditions).
Events Per Day	~12–25	Across a day, small releases are common and normal.
Single-Event Duration	~0.2–1.0 seconds	Brief sphincter relaxation and contraction, then back to baseline.
Muscle Groups	Pelvic floor, anal sphincter	Very short contractions; no sustained workload.
Calorie Burn Per Event	≈0–1 calorie	Rough estimate; rounds to zero in daily totals.

That “≈0–1 calorie” line is a sanity check, not a lab-measured constant. The brief squeeze and tiny gas volume mean the work done is minuscule. Once you set your daily calorie needs, it becomes obvious that chasing any burn from flatulence won’t budge the math.

Where The “67 Calories” Claim Came From

A viral meme once said each release torches 67 calories. Fact-checkers traced it to an old internet hoax. No clinical paper backs that number, and reputable health libraries don’t list farting as an activity that burns measurable calories. The claim keeps circulating because it’s funny, not because it’s real.

Why The Calorie Number Is Near Zero

1) The Gas Volume Is Small

Even on a gassy day, the total liter volume gets split across many events. The pressure needed to move that small pocket is low, and the movement path is short. Work done equals force times distance; both are tiny here.

2) The Contraction Is Brief

The squeeze lasts a fraction of a second. Energy burn scales with time and intensity. A quick twitch doesn’t compare with walking, climbing, or even standing.

3) The Baseline Metabolism Dwarfs It

Most of the day’s energy goes to basic functions—heartbeats, breathing, temperature control, and cellular work. A split-second sphincter contraction sits way below that baseline background.

Gut Gas: What’s Normal And What’s Not

Passing gas many times in a day can still be normal. Health libraries from major centers explain that patterns depend on diet, swallowed air, and the balance of bacteria in the colon. Beans, lentils, onions, and carbonated drinks often raise output. Eating quickly or chewing gum adds swallowed air. Lactose or fructan intolerance can add symptoms too.

If gas comes with pain, sudden bowel changes, fever, or unplanned weight loss, that’s a different story. Those signs call for a check-in with a clinician, since gas can ride along with conditions that need care.

Smart Ways To Reduce Bloating (If You Want To)

Adjust Meals And Pace

Slow bites and smaller sips cut down on swallowed air. Some people find they do better spacing fiber across the day rather than loading it in a single meal.

Test Common Triggers

Beans, onions, garlic, cauliflower, carbonated drinks, and sugar alcohols in sugar-free treats are frequent culprits. A short, structured self-test can reveal which items drive your symptoms.

Look At Lactose And FODMAPs

Sensitivity to dairy sugar or certain fermentable carbs can push gas and bloating. An elimination and re-challenge plan, done stepwise, often clarifies the picture. Many people do well by swapping in lactose-free milk or reducing concentrated sources of FODMAPs for a limited trial.

Better Context: Activities That Actually Burn Calories

To put the tiny number in perspective, here’s a quick activity comparison using common estimates for a person around 155–160 lb. Exact numbers vary by pace, body size, and terrain. Health references share these ranges to guide planning, not to lock you into a single figure.

Activity Comparison: Calories Per Minute (Approx.)

Activity	Calories/Min	Notes
Brisk Walk ~3.5 mph	~5	Steady pace on level ground.
Easy Cycling ~12 mph	~7	Flat route, conversational effort.
Jogging ~5 mph	~9–10	Comfortable, steady run.
Housework (Vacuum, Mop)	~3–4	Stop-and-go movement.
Body-Weight Circuits	~8–12	Depends on work-to-rest ratio.

Even the lowest entry in that table dwarfs the energy tied to releasing gas. If the goal is weight change, it’s smarter to track movement that adds up across minutes and hours.

Myth Busting: What Science Says

Gas Formation

Major medical centers point to two drivers: swallowed air and fermentation of undigested carbohydrates in the colon. Both are normal byproducts of eating and drinking.

Typical Volume

Classic work measuring 24-hour output in healthy adults showed a median around 700 ml under test meals that encourage gas. That’s a liter-bottle spread across a full day, not a balloon worth of pressure in one go.

Activity Lists Don’t Include Farting

Activity charts from health publishers show how many calories you burn with walking, cycling, running, yard work, and dozens of other tasks. You won’t find “passing gas” in those lists because the burn would be swallowed by rounding.

Will Holding Gas Burn More?

Holding increases discomfort and may lead to more volume later, yet it doesn’t turn this into a calorie-burn method. If anything, straining creates unnecessary pressure. The better play is to manage triggers, time restroom breaks, and move on.

Practical Takeaways For Weight Goals

Start With The Big Rocks

Daily intake and consistent movement do the heavy lifting. You’ll get traction by lining up protein, fiber, hydration, and steps. Tiny one-off energy spends don’t decide the result.

Use Rough But Useful Numbers

Track movement in minutes per day and meals in servings across a week. The scale and your waistline reflect patterns, not single events.

Fix Bloating Without Chasing Burn

If bloating bugs you, lean on reputable advice. The NIDDK nutrition page for gas lays out simple diet steps that many people find helpful.

When To Check In With A Clinician

Gas paired with red flags—persistent pain, fever, black stools, blood, sudden changes in bowel habits, or unplanned weight loss—needs a medical look. Those signs point away from everyday gas and toward issues that deserve testing.

Bottom Line On Fart Calories

Muscles fire; the gas moves; the body spends a pinch of energy, then goes right back to baseline. Weight change lives in habits that recur—meals, steps, sleep, and strength work. Chasing a number here distracts from the moves that actually change your day.

Want a clear plan for intake math? Try our calorie deficit guide.