Bouldering calories burned
Quick answer
Bouldering burns about 273 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 546 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 273 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 546 kcal
- MET used
- 8.8
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Moderate uses the Compendium's bouldering row. Easy and Hard use lower and higher climbing rates. Count your time at the wall, with normal short rests.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for bouldering. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5.8 MET | 120 kcal | 144 kcal | 168 kcal | 192 kcal | 216 kcal | 240 kcal |
| Moderate8.8 MET | 195 kcal | 234 kcal | 273 kcal | 312 kcal | 351 kcal | 390 kcal |
| Hard10.5 MET | 238 kcal | 285 kcal | 333 kcal | 380 kcal | 428 kcal | 475 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5.8 MET | 240 kcal | 288 kcal | 336 kcal | 384 kcal | 432 kcal | 480 kcal |
| Moderate8.8 MET | 390 kcal | 468 kcal | 546 kcal | 624 kcal | 702 kcal | 780 kcal |
| Hard10.5 MET | 475 kcal | 570 kcal | 665 kcal | 760 kcal | 855 kcal | 950 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): (8.8 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 273 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 5.8 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 8.8 | 15534 |
| Hard | 10.5 | Effort model |
Compendium row for bouldering: code 15534, 8.8 MET.Compendium wording: “Rock climbing, free boulder”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 15537, 15534, 15536. They are not separate measurements of bouldering. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does bouldering burn in an hour?
About 546 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 390 kcal and a 100 kg person about 780 kcal.
Does bouldering burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 168 kcal at easy effort, 273 kcal at moderate effort and 333 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 bouldering in Nibbs?
Add Bouldering 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 bouldering 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.