Medical Disclaimer: This calculator provides a general estimate based on established research and is for educational purposes only, not a substitute for medical advice. Individual results can vary based on health conditions, so consult a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet, exercise, or health routine. Read our full Medical Disclaimer.
How Calories Burned in Sports Are Calculated
Calories burned in a sport is the energy your body uses while you play, counted in kilocalories (kcal). This calculator estimates it from your weight, your playing time, and the sport and intensity you pick, using each sport's MET value.
What a MET Measures
A MET shows how hard an activity is compared with sitting still. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour, so a sport rated 7 METs uses about seven times that¹. These gross values include the energy you would burn at rest anyway. Every value comes from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard research list of activity costs for adults aged 19 to 59¹.
The Formula
Calories (kcal) = MET x body weight (kg) x time (hours)
Body weight (kg) = body weight (lb) x 0.45359237
The 1 kcal per kg per hour rule for one MET is the compendium's own conversion¹.
How This Calculator Computes Your Result
Enter your weight in pounds or kilograms, your age group and your time. In One sport mode, pick a sport and an intensity; each sport starts on the same default option its own page uses. You see total calories, calories per hour and per 30 minutes, and every option for that sport at your weight.
In Compare mode, pick 3 to 5 sports. They are ranked for the same weight and time, with the minutes each one needs to match the top sport. Each result is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal.
At 60 or older you see the adult result with a note that values may be lower. The exception is pickleball, which has no adult value, so it uses the Older Adult Compendium value, converted to the same scale². There is no result for under 18s, because youth values differ.
What Your Result Means
US activity guidelines group activities by MET: 3.0 to under 6.0 is moderate and 6.0 or more is vigorous³. Below 3.0 is lighter than moderate.
MET range | Intensity | Examples at their default option |
Under 3.0 | Light | Yoga (2.3), Pilates (2.8) |
3.0 to 5.9 | Moderate | Surfing (3.0), table tennis (4.0), golf and pickleball (4.5), baseball and elliptical (5.0), badminton (5.5), boxing heavy bag (5.8) |
6.0 and above | Vigorous | Padel (6.0), tennis (6.8), soccer and HIIT (7.0), basketball (7.5), rugby (8.3), spin class (9.0), martial arts training (10.3), judo (11.3) |
Adults are advised to get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity³, so any sport from 3.0 METs up counts.
Calories Burned by Sport
Each sport below links to its own calculator, with more intensity options and help with rest time. Figures are kcal for 60 minutes at each sport's default option¹.
Combat sports
Sport | Default activity | MET | 70 kg (154 lb) | 90 kg (198 lb) |
Heavy bag, general | 5.8 | 405 | 520 | |
Cardio kickboxing class | 7.3 | 510 | 655 | |
Training at moderate pace | 10.3 | 720 | 925 | |
Live rolling, moderate pace | 10.3 | 720 | 925 | |
MMA class, drills and sparring | 10.3 | 720 | 925 | |
Wrestling, competitive | 6.0 | 420 | 540 | |
Hard judo, randori and contests | 11.3 | 790 | 1015 | |
Moderate pace | 10.3 | 720 | 925 | |
Regular class | 10.3 | 720 | 925 |
Racket sports
Sport | Default activity | MET | 70 kg (154 lb) | 90 kg (198 lb) |
General play, moderate effort | 6.8 | 475 | 610 | |
Doubles, social (tennis doubles stand-in) | 4.5 | 315 | 405 | |
Table tennis, ping pong | 4.0 | 280 | 360 | |
Social | 5.5 | 385 | 495 | |
Casual or social | 7.3 | 510 | 655 | |
Recreational doubles (tennis doubles stand-in) | 6.0 | 420 | 540 | |
Casual | 7.0 | 490 | 630 |
Team sports
Sport | Default activity | MET | 70 kg (154 lb) | 90 kg (198 lb) |
Pickup or general play | 7.5 | 525 | 675 | |
Casual or pickup game | 7.0 | 490 | 630 | |
General play | 4.0 | 280 | 360 | |
Tackle, competitive | 8.0 | 560 | 720 | |
Ice hockey, recreational or general | 8.0 | 560 | 720 | |
Playing a game | 5.0 | 350 | 450 | |
Playing a game | 5.0 | 350 | 450 | |
Rugby union, match or contact training | 8.3 | 580 | 745 |
Outdoor and water sports
Sport | Default activity | MET | 70 kg (154 lb) | 90 kg (198 lb) |
Walking, pull or push cart | 4.5 | 315 | 405 | |
Easy to moderate routes | 5.8 | 405 | 520 | |
Recreational surfing | 3.0 | 210 | 270 | |
General paddling | 6.5 | 455 | 585 | |
Moderate effort | 5.0 | 350 | 450 | |
Downhill, moderate effort | 6.3 | 440 | 565 | |
Recreational, moderate pace | 7.5 | 525 | 675 | |
General | 7.0 | 490 | 630 | |
General, moderate effort | 5.0 | 350 | 450 | |
General | 5.5 | 385 | 495 |
Gym and classes
Sport | Default activity | MET | 70 kg (154 lb) | 90 kg (198 lb) |
Typical class (vigorous circuit stand-in) | 7.5 | 525 | 675 | |
Moderate effort | 7.0 | 490 | 630 | |
Group class | 6.5 | 455 | 585 | |
General | 2.8 | 195 | 250 | |
General | 2.3 | 160 | 205 | |
Spin class | 9.0 | 630 | 810 | |
Moderate effort | 5.0 | 350 | 450 | |
Stair climber machine, general | 9.3 | 650 | 835 | |
Moderate, under 100 watts | 5.0 | 350 | 450 | |
Ballet, modern or jazz class or rehearsal | 5.0 | 350 | 450 |
The compendium has no separate entry for pickleball, padel, MMA, jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, karate or CrossFit, so those use the closest listed activity, and each sport page explains which one¹.
Why the Sport Pages Give Better Estimates
Intensity changes the number most. Tennis doubles is 4.5 METs and singles is 8.0. Boxing runs from 5.8 for general bag work to 12.3 for a bout in the ring¹. This hub offers a short list of options; each sport page has the full set.
Normal pauses are already counted. In a study that measured oxygen use in 10 tennis matches, the ball was in play only about 29% of the time, yet the whole-match average was about 8.3 METs, close to the compendium's 8.0 for singles⁴. So do not subtract the gaps between points or plays. Do leave out long breaks, like sitting out a game or halftime.
Some values count active time only. The downhill skiing values are labeled "active time only" in the compendium, so lift rides and lines should not be counted¹. Sport pages for skiing, golf, team sports and other stop-start sports have a helper to split your session.
Calories per Hour by Sport
Sixty minutes of each sport at its default option, at two body weights. Pick a group; every group uses the same scale.
- 70 kg (154 lb)
- 90 kg (198 lb)
Show data table
| Sport | 70 kg (154 lb) (kcal) | 90 kg (198 lb) (kcal) |
|---|---|---|
| Judo (11.3 METs) | 790 | 1,015 |
| Muay Thai (10.3 METs) | 720 | 925 |
| Jiu Jitsu (10.3 METs) | 720 | 925 |
| MMA (10.3 METs) | 720 | 925 |
| Karate (10.3 METs) | 720 | 925 |
| Taekwondo (10.3 METs) | 720 | 925 |
| Kickboxing (7.3 METs) | 510 | 655 |
| Wrestling (6.0 METs) | 420 | 540 |
| Boxing (5.8 METs) | 405 | 520 |
A Note on Accuracy
These are averages, not measurements of you. The tennis study also found single games ranging from about 3 to 14 METs, so any one session can be far from the average⁴. The 1 MET resting value also fits some people better than others, with larger errors in older, heavier and less fit adults and in women, and the compendium was not built to give one person's exact burn⁵. Treat your result as a fair estimate for comparing sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sport burns the most calories?
At their default options, judo (11.3 METs) and martial arts training (10.3 METs) rank highest on this page. At their hardest options, taekwondo sparring (14.3), fast kayaking (12.5) and a boxing bout (12.3) go higher still¹.
How many calories do sports burn in an hour?
For a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, most sports here burn about 210 to 790 kcal in an hour at their default option, while yoga and Pilates burn less than 200. For the same time, a heavier person burns more.
Do calories burned in sports include calories burned at rest?
Yes, these are gross values, so they include the roughly 1 kcal per kg per hour you would burn sitting still¹. Subtract that if you want only the extra calories from playing.
How accurate are sports calorie calculators?
They give a fair average for adults, but your real burn can differ a lot with effort, skill, rest and your own resting rate⁵. Use the result to compare sports and plan, not as an exact count.
Sources
2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Herrmann et al., 2024
2024 Older Adult Compendium, Willis et al., 2024
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition, US Department of Health and Human Services, 2018
A Physiological Profile of Tennis Match Play, Smekal et al., 2001
Corrected METs, Compendium of Physical Activities