Basketball calories burned
Quick answer
Playing basketball burns about 228 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 455 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 228 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 455 kcal
- MET used
- 7.5
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Moderate uses the Compendium's general basketball row. Easy is for shooting around and light drills, and Hard is for demanding drills or games.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for basketball. Pick the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy6 MET | 125 kcal | 150 kcal | 175 kcal | 200 kcal | 225 kcal | 250 kcal |
| Moderate7.5 MET | 163 kcal | 195 kcal | 228 kcal | 260 kcal | 293 kcal | 325 kcal |
| Hard9.3 MET | 208 kcal | 249 kcal | 291 kcal | 332 kcal | 374 kcal | 415 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy6 MET | 250 kcal | 300 kcal | 350 kcal | 400 kcal | 450 kcal | 500 kcal |
| Moderate7.5 MET | 325 kcal | 390 kcal | 455 kcal | 520 kcal | 585 kcal | 650 kcal |
| Hard9.3 MET | 415 kcal | 498 kcal | 581 kcal | 664 kcal | 747 kcal | 830 kcal |
- Easy:
- Relaxed, light effort.
- Moderate:
- Steady, noticeable effort. New logs in the app start here.
- Hard:
- Demanding and hard to keep up.
How this is calculated
Calories burned = (MET − 1) × body weight in kg × time in hours
MET compares the energy an activity uses with sitting at rest. Nibbs takes away 1 MET, the energy your body uses at rest (about 1 kcal per kg per hour), so it counts only the extra calories from the activity. The app rounds the result to the nearest whole kcal.
Worked example (Moderate, 70 kg, 30 minutes): (7.5 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 227.5, rounded to 228 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 6 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 7.5 | 15055 |
| Hard | 9.3 | Effort model |
Compendium row for basketball: code 15055, 7.5 MET.Compendium wording: “Basketball, general”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 15050, 15055, 15072. They are not separate measurements of basketball. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does playing basketball burn in an hour?
About 455 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 325 kcal and a 100 kg person about 650 kcal.
Does playing basketball burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 175 kcal at easy effort, 228 kcal at moderate effort and 291 kcal at hard effort. Choose the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
Why are these numbers lower than some other calculators?
Nibbs counts only the calories you burn above your resting rate. It takes away 1 MET, about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour, because your body burns that much even when you sit still. Calculators that count total calories include this resting energy, so their numbers are higher.
How do I log basketball in Nibbs?
Add Basketball from the exercise library, enter how long you did it and pick Easy, Moderate or Hard. Nibbs uses the weight in your profile to estimate the calories. You can replace the estimate with your own number.
Log basketball in Nibbs and get a calorie estimate automatically
Nibbs has a library of more than 1,200 exercises. Add a workout and Nibbs uses your weight to estimate the calories, next to the meals you log.
Calories burned in related activities
Values are kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person, at the app's default effort level or the pace shown on each page.