Tennis calories burned
Quick answer
Playing tennis burns about 203 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 406 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 203 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 406 kcal
- MET used
- 6.8
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Easy is for hitting without a game, Moderate for a general game and Hard for competitive tennis.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for tennis. 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 MET | 100 kcal | 120 kcal | 140 kcal | 160 kcal | 180 kcal | 200 kcal |
| Moderate6.8 MET | 145 kcal | 174 kcal | 203 kcal | 232 kcal | 261 kcal | 290 kcal |
| Hard8 MET | 175 kcal | 210 kcal | 245 kcal | 280 kcal | 315 kcal | 350 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5 MET | 200 kcal | 240 kcal | 280 kcal | 320 kcal | 360 kcal | 400 kcal |
| Moderate6.8 MET | 290 kcal | 348 kcal | 406 kcal | 464 kcal | 522 kcal | 580 kcal |
| Hard8 MET | 350 kcal | 420 kcal | 490 kcal | 560 kcal | 630 kcal | 700 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): (6.8 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 203 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 5 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 6.8 | 15675 |
| Hard | 8 | Effort model |
Compendium row for tennis: code 15675, 6.8 MET.Compendium wording: “Tennis, general, moderate effort”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 15695, 15675, 15676. They are not separate measurements of tennis. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does playing tennis burn in an hour?
About 406 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 290 kcal and a 100 kg person about 580 kcal.
Does playing tennis burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 140 kcal at easy effort, 203 kcal at moderate effort and 245 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 tennis in Nibbs?
Add Tennis 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 tennis 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.