metabolic equivalent
met·a·bol·ic e·quiv·a·lent (MET),
MET
PhysiologyA metabolic unit used to quantify the intensity of physical activity, which is defined as the ratio of the metabolic rate during exercise to the metabolic rate at rest. One MET corresponds to an energy expenditure of approximately 1 kca1Jkg of body weight/hour, or an oxygen uptake of 3.5 ml of O2 consumption/kg/hour. The MET unit is of use when planning the rehabilitation of patients who have had a myocardial infarction.
Metabolic Equivalents
1—Sleeping, reclining.
2—Sitting (e.g., desk work, highway driving).
3—Very light exertion (e.g., office work, city driving).
4—Light exertion, normal breathing (e.g., slow walking, mopping, golfing with a cart).
5—Moderate exertion with deep breathing (e.g., normal walking, golfing on foot, callisthenics, raking leaves, downhill skiing, hunting, fishing, slow dancing, interior painting).
6—Vigourous exertion with panting, overheating (e.g., slow jogging, speed-walking, tennis, swimming, cross-country skiing, fast biking, shovelling snow, heavy restaurant work, laying bricks, heavy gardening, heavy household repairs).
7—Heavy exertion with gasping and sweating (e.g., fast jogging, running, continuous racquetball, touch football, moving heavy rocks, mixing cement, using a jackhammer, shovelling deep or heavy snow, hanging drywall).
8—Peak or extreme exertion (e.g., fast running, jogging uphill, aggressive sports with no rest, extreme work, pushing or pulling with one’s entire strength).