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how many calories does farting burn

You burn essentially zero meaningful calories from farting. Any energy used is so tiny that it won’t affect weight, metabolism, or fat loss in any practical way.

How Many Calories Does Farting Burn?

Quick Scoop

Let’s hit the viral myth first, then the real numbers.

  • The internet rumor says: “One fart burns 67 calories.”
  • Health experts say: this is flat-out wrong and not backed by any real science.
  • Realistic estimate: a fraction of a calorie per fart (so small it doesn’t register on proper equipment).

In other words, if you’re hoping to lose weight by “letting it rip,” you’ll be waiting a very, very long time.

Where Did “67 Calories per Fart” Come From?

This number seems to come from a chain-email and meme-style posts that have been circulating since at least the late 2000s.

People then did some playful math:

  • If 1 fart = 67 calories (myth)
  • And you fart ~20 times per day
  • Then you’d burn: 1,340 calories/day just from gas
  • That would be close to losing about 1 pound every 2–3 days, just by farting

Doctors and obesity specialists have clearly debunked this as nonsense.

“You’re not burning calories passing gas… It is a passive action.” – Obesity specialist quoted in Prevention.

So, How Many Calories Does Farting Actually Burn?

The honest breakdown

To burn noticeable calories, your muscles need to actively contract over time (like walking, lifting, or even fidgeting).

  • Farting mainly happens when the anal sphincter muscles relax and gas escapes.
  • A brief, small contraction (if you “push”) might use a tiny amount of energy, but:
    • It’s around a fraction of a calorie per fart , far below what matters for weight.
* Some sources generously suggest **maybe 1–2 calories at most** in a very strained attempt, but that’s theoretical and not measurable in normal life.

Recent explainer articles estimate:

  • 10 farts/day ≈ 0.1 calorie
  • 20 farts/day ≈ 0.2 calories
  • 50 farts/day ≈ 0.5 calories
  • 100 farts/day ≈ 1 calorie total

Even at the “gassiest normal human,” you’re looking at about 1 calorie a day from farting—basically nothing.

The Real Calorie Action: Digestion, Not the Fart

The interesting part isn’t the fart itself, but the digestive system that creates the gas.

  • When you eat, your body spends energy digesting food.
  • This is called the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).
  • TEF usually accounts for around 10% of your daily calorie burn , depending on what you eat.

Gas (and therefore farting) is a side product of:

  • Bacteria fermenting carbohydrates in the large intestine
  • Your gut moving food along
  • Fiber being broken down

So:

  • Digestion uses a noticeable number of calories.
  • Farting is just the final, tiny release valve with negligible energy cost.

Forum & “Latest News” Style Discussion

Because this topic keeps trending on social media and forums, you often see takes like:

“If farting burned 67 calories, I’d be shredded by now.”

Recent health and fitness blogs keep revisiting the question because it refuses to die. The pattern looks like this:

  • A meme goes viral saying farting is a weight-loss hack.
  • People ask: “Is this too good to be true?”
  • Doctors and dietitians show up to say: “Yes, it is.”

From a 2025–2026 perspective:

  • Articles and explainers continue to debunk the myth, emphasizing:
    • Calorie burn from farting is essentially nonexistent.
    • Focusing on this is a distraction from actual useful habits like walking, strength training, and balanced eating.

Mini Sections: Key Questions Answered

1. Can farting help with weight loss?

  • No meaningful impact on fat loss.
  • Any “lighter” feeling afterward is just gas leaving your intestines, not fat burning.

2. Why do I feel less bloated after farting?

  • Gas stretches your intestines and can cause pressure or discomfort.
  • Releasing it reduces that pressure, so you feel lighter even though your actual weight barely changes.

3. Is it unhealthy to hold in farts?

  • Occasionally holding it in is usually fine.
  • Constantly suppressing gas can cause bloating and discomfort, and sometimes more noticeable cramping.
  • If you have frequent pain, major changes in gas, or other gut symptoms, that’s a doctor conversation.

4. Does “more farting” mean more calories burned?

  • Not really.
  • More farting usually means:
    • More fiber, certain carbs, or artificial sweeteners
    • Changes in gut bacteria
    • Digestive issues like lactose intolerance, IBS, etc.
  • The energy cost of farting stays negligible, even if frequency goes up.

HTML Table: Myth vs Reality

Here’s a quick view you can embed as-is:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Claim / Topic</th>
      <th>What People Say</th>
      <th>What Evidence Shows</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Calories burned per fart</td>
      <td>67 calories per fart (viral myth)</td>
      <td>A fraction of a calorie at most, usually effectively 0 calories.[web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Daily weight loss from farting</td>
      <td>Could lose a pound every few days just from gas</td>
      <td>Totally unrealistic; even 50–100 farts/day ≈ 0.5–1 calorie.[web:5][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Role of muscles</td>
      <td>“Pushing hard” must burn lots of calories</td>
      <td>Passing gas is mostly passive muscle relaxation, not sustained effort.[web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Digestion vs farting</td>
      <td>Farting itself is the “fat burner”</td>
      <td>Digestion (TEF) burns calories; farting is just a tiny end result.[web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Health perspective</td>
      <td>Use farting as a weight-loss hack</td>
      <td>Focus on diet, movement, sleep, and overall lifestyle; gas has near-zero calorie impact.[web:1][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

If You Want Real Calorie Burn…

If your goal is actual calorie burning or weight change in 2026 and beyond, far better options include:

  • Brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming
  • Strength training 2–3 times per week
  • Daily movement (taking stairs, standing more, general activity)
  • Eating enough protein and fiber, but in a balanced way

Those things can add up to hundreds of calories per day, unlike farting’s microscopic contribution.

TL;DR

  • Farting does not burn 67 calories. That’s an internet myth.
  • Actual calorie burn from farting is so tiny —around a fraction of a calorie per fart—that it’s irrelevant for weight loss.
  • Digestion burns calories; farting is just a small (and sometimes noisy) side effect.

Bottom line: fart for comfort, not for calories.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.