Pickleball calories burned
Quick answer
Playing pickleball burns about 123 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 245 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 123 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 245 kcal
- MET used
- 4.5
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
The Compendium has no pickleball row, so Nibbs uses doubles tennis for Moderate. Easy is for light rallies, and Hard is for a demanding game.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for pickleball. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy3.5 MET | 63 kcal | 75 kcal | 88 kcal | 100 kcal | 113 kcal | 125 kcal |
| Moderate4.5 MET | 88 kcal | 105 kcal | 123 kcal | 140 kcal | 158 kcal | 175 kcal |
| Hard6 MET | 125 kcal | 150 kcal | 175 kcal | 200 kcal | 225 kcal | 250 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy3.5 MET | 125 kcal | 150 kcal | 175 kcal | 200 kcal | 225 kcal | 250 kcal |
| Moderate4.5 MET | 175 kcal | 210 kcal | 245 kcal | 280 kcal | 315 kcal | 350 kcal |
| Hard6 MET | 250 kcal | 300 kcal | 350 kcal | 400 kcal | 450 kcal | 500 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): (4.5 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 122.5, rounded to 123 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 3.5 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 4.5 | 15685 |
| Hard | 6 | Effort model |
Compendium row for pickleball: code 15685, 4.5 MET.Compendium wording: “Tennis, doubles”
The Compendium has no row for pickleball, so Nibbs uses the row of a similar activity.
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 15685, 15680. They are not separate measurements of pickleball. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does playing pickleball burn in an hour?
About 245 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 175 kcal and a 100 kg person about 350 kcal.
Does playing pickleball burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 88 kcal at easy effort, 123 kcal at moderate effort and 175 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 pickleball in Nibbs?
Add Pickleball 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 pickleball 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.