Calories Burned in Pickleball
Pickleball calories burned in a matching range from 300 to 700. An average pickleball player is aged at 38 years. It is estimated that an average 38-year-old woman loses 390 calories per singles match, while an average man can lose up to 440 calories.
The concept of calorie burning can be confusing for many people as the total number of burned calories depends on numerous factors.
These factors may include age, gender, height, intensity, the type of game, and so on. For instance, a male will lose more calories as compared to a woman of the same age and height.
No matter what your age or height is, one thing is certain! You will be able to lose many calories while playing this fun and enjoyable game.
Why Your BMR is Important?
Understanding the abbreviation, ‘BMR’ is very important if you want to grasp the concept of calories burned in pickleball. BMR stands for ‘Basal Metabolic Rate’.
Basal metabolic rate is the number of calories we burn while doing daily tasks. Daily BMR varies for every person as some of us go to gyms and play extreme sports while others prefer not to participate in such activities.
Therefore if you add the total number of calories lost in pickleball to the daily BMR, you will get the exact number. Knowing about your daily BMR is important so that you can eat food more mindfully to meet your daily energy needs.
Factors Influencing Calorie Burning in Pickleball
Some factors will affect the increase or decrease in calorie burn while playing pickleball. For instance, a person with 185 lbs of weight might lose more calories than a person who is 155 lbs.
Below, we have described some of the factors in detail;
Intensity
We can only assume a rough estimate for the calories burned in a match. This is due to the reason that every match is played with a different intensity.
In the gameplay, where both players are well experienced, the match and the rally will be longer. This means that more energy would be required to play it, thus more calories burned.
Weight and Body Composition
Weight is one of the most important factors in calorie burning in pickleball. The more one weighs, the more energy it takes to play the game. This means that a person who weighs more will burn more calories.
However there are some cases where the weight or BMI (body mass index) of two people is the same, but both have a different amount of burned calories. Here, the body composition will be observed.
Some may have more fat or muscles. Therefore, a person with more muscle mass will burn more calories.
Singles or Doubles
We all know that pickleball can be played in two ways, i.e. singles or doubles. In a doubles match, two people play together as a team. But in a singles match, only one player is present on either side of the court.
A singles match will be more tiring and requires more energy as one player has to continuously run after the ball.
Total Time it Takes to Play a Pickleball Match
A typical pickleball game of eleven points usually takes 15 to 25 minutes. Each pickleball match consists of two to three games of eleven points. This means that a match takes 45 minutes to an hour.
There was a need to mention it as the more you’ll play, the more calories you would burn. For instance, you would burn 250-350 calories if you play for thirty minutes only.
How to Calculate the Burned Calories Per Minute in Pickleball?
Counting the burned calories can be very confusing as there are a lot of factors that can alter the total number. So a formula has been created that will help you to estimate the number of calories you burn per minute in a pickleball game.
The formula is; METs × 3.5 × (body weight in kilograms) / 200
In sports sciences, the term MET is used which is the ratio of BMR and resting metabolic rate. To describe it in simple words, one MET is equal to the energy you spend while doing nothing.
So if the MET is 3, you are spending three times more energy. For instance, the MET of jumping ropes can be 12 and brisk walking can be 4.
In pickleball, the MET ranges from 3 to 6 and the average MET is 4.1. The more intensive your game is, the more METs you will need. Older people don’t play the game aggressively so they usually have lower METs.
Now let’s try to understand the formula. Let’s say you weigh 69 kgs (152 lbs) and the MET is 6. The formula would be applied like this;
6 x 3.5 x 69 / 200 = 7.245 calories per minute.
If you played the game for 60 minutes, the total burned calories would be 60 x 7.245 = 434.7
Other Health Benefits of Playing Pickleball
Other than burning calories, pickleball also provides many other health benefits. Some of pickleball health benefits are briefly described below;
Strengthens the Muscles
Almost all forms of outdoor sports are good for your muscles. There are different hard strokes in the game that can strengthen the muscles of the arms and core.
Prevents Obesity and Diabetes
We all know that obesity can lead to diabetes and many heart-related diseases. However, the pro of playing this game is that it reduces the chances of obesity.
Since you burn many calories in a pickleball match, therefore, you end up losing some weight. This way, obese people can lose excess weight and others can maintain their healthy BMI.
Teaches Stress Management
There are many stressful moments while playing this sport. This teaches you to manage stressful conditions and remain calm and focused.
Also, you might lose any pre-existing stress you’re carrying since sports are known for releasing stress-relieving hormones in the brain.
Reduces the Risk of Depression
Depression can be caused by many factors. This can be due to mind-gut relations or due to other external factors.
However, when you exercise or play sports, an increase in dopamine and other happy hormones is observed in the brain. This way, you feel more elated and prevent sad thoughts or depression.
FAQs
How Many Calories Are Burned in 30 Minutes of Pickleball?
Is Pickleball a Form of HIIT?
Is Pickleball Good for Losing Weight?
Which Game Burns More Calories; Tennis or Pickleball?
How Many Calories Are Burned in 1 Hour of Pickleball?
Outro
Pickleball is not only a game of competition but can help maintain your health and burn a lot of calories while playing it. On average, a player might lose 350-700 calories in a match.
However, the exact number depends on many factors such as age, height, the intensity of the match, etc. If you want to calculate the calories you burned in a pickleball match, use the formula we’ve mentioned above.
