Volleyball calories burned

Quick answer

Playing volleyball burns about 105 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 210 kcal.

30 minutes, 70 kg
105 kcal
1 hour, 70 kg
210 kcal
MET used
4
Effort or pace
Moderate

Easy is for a relaxed social game and Hard for competitive volleyball in a hall. Beach volleyball in sand has its own, higher rates in the app.

Calories burned by body weight

Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for volleyball. Pick the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.

30 minutes
Effort level50 kg60 kg70 kg80 kg90 kg100 kg
Easy3 MET50 kcal60 kcal70 kcal80 kcal90 kcal100 kcal
Moderate4 MET75 kcal90 kcal105 kcal120 kcal135 kcal150 kcal
Hard6 MET125 kcal150 kcal175 kcal200 kcal225 kcal250 kcal
1 hour
Effort level50 kg60 kg70 kg80 kg90 kg100 kg
Easy3 MET100 kcal120 kcal140 kcal160 kcal180 kcal200 kcal
Moderate4 MET150 kcal180 kcal210 kcal240 kcal270 kcal300 kcal
Hard6 MET250 kcal300 kcal350 kcal400 kcal450 kcal500 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 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 105 kcal.

Effort levelMETCompendium code
Easy315720
Moderate4Effort model
Hard6Effort model

Compendium row for volleyball: code 15720, 3 MET.Compendium wording: “Volleyball, non-competitive, 6-9 member team, general”

Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 15720, 15710, 15711. They are not separate measurements of volleyball. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.

Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities

Where our numbers come from

Common questions

How many calories does playing volleyball burn in an hour?

About 210 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 150 kcal and a 100 kg person about 300 kcal.

Does playing volleyball burn more calories at a harder effort?

Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 70 kcal at easy effort, 105 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 volleyball in Nibbs?

Add Volleyball 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 volleyball 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.

See all activities

These are estimates for adults, based on average values for each activity. Your real calories burned depend on your fitness, technique, the conditions and how hard you work. This page is general information, not medical advice.

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