Coca-Cola is under fire for reportedly funding an organization that says America’s expanding waistline is a result of lack of exercise and not sugary drinks.

That has led many to wonder how long it would take to shed calories from consuming the nation’s No.1 non-alcoholic drink.

Coke, using a workout calculator it created with the help of physical activity expert Dr. Greg Whyte, says it would take 17 minutes running, 22 minutes of aerobic exercies and 17 minutes playing basketball to burn 138 calories in a 12-ounce can of Coke.

A study by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health in Baltimore says that to burn the calories from a 20-ounce bottle of soda, a consumer would have to walk five miles or run for about 50 minutes.

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Trains line the tracks during Tracks of Hope, an event hosted by Norfolk Southern in support of Hope Atlanta, in Forest Park, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. Norfolk Southern has become a prominent corporate citizen in the metro region, donating millions to charitable causes. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

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