As a moderate to high intensity activity, it can be an excellent way to burn calories and get in shape. But exactly how many calories can you expect to burn playing pickleball?
Please note that these are average estimates and the actual number of calories burned can vary based on individual factors. The intensity of the game can significantly affect the number of calories burned, with more intense games resulting in a higher calorie burn.
- A 160-pound person can burn 500 calories per hour during a casual game, and up to 700 calories per hour during a more intense game[1].
- A 200-pound person can burn 700 calories per hour during a casual game, and up to 900 calories per hour during a more intense game[1].
- On average, a player might lose 350-700 calories in a match, with the exact number depending on factors such as age, height, and the intensity of the match[2].
- A 32-year-old female who weighs approximately 120 pounds burned 285 calories in the first hour of play and 359 calories in the second hour[3].
- A 200-pound person playing competitively can expect to burn around 500 calories per hour[4].
- In general, you can expect to burn around 250-300 calories per half hour of playing pickleball, which equates to 500-600 calories per hour[5].
- A 180-pound player can burn over 350 calories in a typical 60-minute session[6].
- The standard expectation is 500 to 700 calories burned in an hour of playing three pickleball sets[7].
- Most estimates range from 8-10 calories per minute of pickleball played, which equates to 480-600 calories per hour[8].
- Pickleball burns between 8 and 11 calories per minute, depending on intensity, which equates to 480-660 calories per hour[9].
- According to The Skilled Pickle, on average, a person can expect to burn between 240-300 calories per game of pickleball, which equates to roughly 8-10 calories burned per minute of play.
As you can see, estimates vary based on factors like weight, intensity, and duration of play. But the consensus is that a typical pickleball session will burn at least 400-500 calories per hour. More competitive and vigorous play can burn 700 calories or more per hour.
No matter your skill level, pickleball is great exercise that will get your heart pumping and calories burning! Just be sure to stay hydrated and properly warmed up to avoid injury. Get out on the pickleball court and start improving your fitness while playing this fast-paced and addictively fun sport.
Pickleball Calorie Burn Estimation
To estimate calories burned during exercise, a MET value is used. MET stands for metabolic equivalent and measures the intensity of different activities.
Calories burned per minute can be calculated using this formula:
METs x 3.5 x (body weight in kg) / 200
For older adults, the average MET value for pickleball is 4.1, since they tend to play at a lower intensity than younger players.
Calories Burned Playing Tennis vs Pickleball
Tennis and pickleball are played on similarly sized courts but use different size paddles/rackets and cover slightly different areas. The sports vary in terms of scoring, gameplay, and rules.
But how do they compare in terms of calories burned?
- A 150 lb person burns approximately 414 calories playing tennis in 30 minutes.
- A 200 lb person burns approximately 524 calories playing tennis in 30 minutes.
- During 30 minutes of casual pickleball, a 150 lb person burns about 250 calories.
- During 30 minutes of aggressive pickleball, a 150 lb person burns about 350 calories.
| Your Weight | Tennis (Singles) | Pickleball (Singles) | Tennis (Doubles) | Pickleball (Doubles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 lbs (56 kg) | 236 calories | 177 calories | 177 calories | 133 calories |
| 155 lbs (70 kg) | 293 calories | 220 calories | 220 calories | 165 calories |
| 185 lbs (83 kg) | 350 calories | 262 calories | 262 calories | 197 calories |
| 215 lbs (97 kg) | 406 calories | 305 calories | 305 calories | 229 calories |
So a direct comparison shows that casual pickleball burns slightly less calories than tennis, while aggressive play leads to a similar calorie burn.
Pickleball Single vs. Double Calories Burned
| Weight | Pickleball (Singles) | Pickleball (Doubles) |
|---|---|---|
| 125 lbs (56 kg) | 177 calories | 133 calories |
| 155 lbs (70 kg) | 220 calories | 165 calories |
| 185 lbs (83 kg) | 262 calories | 197 calories |
| 215 lbs (97 kg) | 305 calories | 229 calories |
Sources:
[1] https://www.pickleheads.com/blog/calories-burned-playing-pickleball/
[2] https://mdracketsports.com/calories-burned-in-pickleball/
[3] https://racketroyalty.com/blog/pickleball/pickleball-calories-burned/
[4] https://primetimepickleball.com/pickleball-calories-burned/
[5] https://doyourspin.com/pickleball/calories-burn-playing-pickleball/
[6] https://www.topendsports.com/sport/pickleball/energy-expenditure.htm
[7] https://pickleballfeature.com/calories-burned-playing-pickleball/
[8] https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/pickleball-calories-burned/
[9] https://bestpickleballguide.com/how-many-calories-do-you-burn/
[10] https://www.reddit.com/r/Pickleball/comments/xocire/how_many_calories_do_you_think_pickleball_burns/
[11] https://pickleballrookie.com/how-many-calories-do-you-burn-playing-pickleball
[12] https://www.caloriejam.com/calories-burned-playing-pickleball-calculator/
[13] https://pickleballpulse.com/calories-burned-playing-pickleball/
[14] https://www.theskilledpickle.com/blog/pickleball-calorie-burning-calculator
