Here’s an interesting like I found while researching this topic:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5378519_many-calories-bikram-burn.html
By using the standard “calories burned” formula, you can determine the approximate number of calories burned for a 90-minute Bikram session. The formula is:
(METS * 3.5 * Weight in kg/200) * Duration of activity.
Since many people go by their weight in pounds, a conversion for the METS rate can be used. Bikram is approximately a METS (metabolic equivalent of task based on rate of oxygen used at rest) value of 6. This is divided by the conversion formula for kilograms to pounds, which is 2.2, so 6 / 2.2 = 2.73.
Plugging in the data for a 150 lb. person practicing Bikram for 90 minutes, the calculation looks like this:
(2.73 * 3.5 * 150 / 200) * 90 = 644 calories.
The METS formula does not take into account a Bikram student’s resting or working heart rate, or their muscle mass; therefore, the results of the calculation are approximate.
