Burning Calories – How Many Calories Do You Burn Playing Pickleball?

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the USA. As more people discover this fun game, many want to know – how many Calories are Burned Playing Pickleball and whether it is a good workout or not. 

Since I recently covered eye injuries in pickleball and how common they are on my blog, it’s time to discuss how many calories you burn while playing pickleball.

This article will explore everything you need to know about How Many Calories Do You Burn Playing Pickleball. We’ll examine how weight, intensity level, and duration impact calorie expenditure. 

Read on to learn how pickleball stacks up against other sports for fitness.

Why Should You Care About Calories Burned Playing Pickleball?

Before diving into the numbers, you may be wondering why calories matter in the first place.

Here are some key reasons to pay attention to your calorie burn when playing pickleball

Helps You Quantify Pickleball As An Exercise

If you are looking to lose weight or meet fitness goals, knowing your calorie expenditure can help.

Motivates You To Push Yourself During Play.

Tracking calories burned by playing pickleball can inspire you to increase the intensity to maximize fat burn.

Allows Comparison To Other Workouts.

Understanding your calorie burn provides context to compare pickleball to running, swimming, or other sports.

Indicates Your Effort Level.

Calories relate directly to your hard work during pickleball games or practice sessions.

How Many Calories Burned Playing Pickleball? By the Numbers

Here is an overview of approximate calories burned playing pickleball by different measures:

• Per minute: 8-10 calories
  
• Per game: 240-300 calories
  
• Per hour:
  
  • Casual play: 422 calories
    
  • Competitive play: 700+ calories
    
• For 60-minute session:
  
  • 150-pound person: 500 calories
    
  • 200-pound person: 700 calories
    

As expected, more weight and higher intensity equals a greater calorie burn rate. During play, use this as motivation to move quickly!

What Impacts Your Calorie Burn in Pickleball?

When determining calories burned to play pickleball, several variables come into play:

Your Body Weight

Heavier players burn more calories than lighter players in pickleball – as in most sports. More body weight requires more energy expenditure to move around the court.

For example, a 160-pound player will burn 500 calories per hour playing pickleball, while a 200-pound player will expend 700 calories.

Intensity Level

The more intensely you play, the more calories you’ll burn. Casual play leads to a lower calorie burn than competitive, aggressive games filled with running and lunging.

Studies show that pickleball’s average metabolic equivalent (MET) ranges from 4.1 to 7.7, depending on your playing hard.

Duration

Naturally, the longer you play pickleball, the more calories you’ll burn during the session. Even casual play adds up over time.

Age

Younger players tend to burn more calories than older players while playing pickleball. However, the sport can provide an excellent aerobic workout for any adult.

How Many Calories Does Pickleball Burn Compared to Other Sports?

To better understand pickleball’s calorie-burn potential, let’s compare it to other sports and fitness activities.

Tennis

Burning 700-900 calories per hour, tennis edges out pickleball for calorie expenditure due to a larger court and faster pace. However, pickleball is easier to learn!

Running

Running at a 10-minute mile pace burns around 1,000 calories per hour for a 160-pound person, more than pickleball. But pickleball provides more intervals, social fun, and lower injury risk.

Swimming

Intensive swimming can torch 700-1,000 calories per hour, but more casual paces drop closer to 500-600 calories – on par with pickleball.

Pickleball Vs Walking 

Pickleball burns significantly more calories than walking at a moderate 20-minute mile pace, which only torches 300 calories per hour.

As you can see, pickleball holds its own against top calorie-burning sports while offering more approachability and fun.

5 Factors That Maximize Calories Burned Playing Pickleball

If you want to burn more calories during your next pickleball game, Implement these pro tips

1. Play Singles Rather Than Doubles

Covering the entire court yourself in singles leads to more running and a higher intensity – increasing calorie expenditure by roughly 20%.

2. Try Interval Training

Mix short bursts of fast, aggressive play with lighter points to spike your heart rate. This form of interval training maximizes calories burned.

3. Focus on Footwork

Work on your foot speed and reaction time to add more running between shots. Quick lateral movements and split steps burn more energy.

4. Play Longer Matches

Opt for 60-90 minute play sessions rather than 30-45 minutes to ramp up your cumulative calorie burn.

5. Analyze Your Heart Rate

A fitness tracker provides helpful data on your effort level and intensity during play. Let your heart rate guide you to burn more!

Frequently Asked Questions

Some frequently asked Questions about How Many Calories Burned Playing Pickleball are: 

The Takeaway: Pickleball is a Fantastic Exercise

While pickleball may burn slightly fewer calories than tennis per hour, it still provides an extremely efficient full-body workout.

The weight loss and fitness potential of pickleball should not be underestimated. All the lunging, pivoting, and quick reactions required to play a match will keep your heart pumping!

I hope this Guide Answers your question about Calories Burned Playing Pickleball.

Thanks For reading along. Have a nice Day!!