Pickleball is a fun sport and a great cardio workout. It can be so enjoyable, you can forget that you’re burning calories!

Pickleball is great for getting you moving, which may make you wonder, how many calories do you burn playing pickleball?

Well, the answer depends on a few things, which we’ll get into in this article.

How Much Time Does Pickleball Take To Play?

The calories burned while playing pickleball depends on how long you play for. The United States of America Pickleball Association states that when playing in a tournament, matches must be played at the best 2 out of 3 games to 11 points.

This means most matches end in under an hour, with the average time being 50 minutes. A set of pickleball takes around an hour, while two sets take 2 hours.

The number of calories burned also depends on what kind of pickleball you’re playing. A simple game with a friend might mean that you play at an easier, slower pace.

This means you wouldn’t move as much, and your heart rate would stay at a lower level. However, if you’re playing in a competition or a fierce game with a rival, you’re likely to move more and burn a greater amount of calories.

Calories Burned Playing Pickleball And Tennis

Tennis and pickleball are pretty similar sports. The biggest difference between the two is that you serve underhand in pickleball, overhead in tennis. A pickleball court is also smaller than a tennis court. However, more statistics estimate the calories burned for tennis rather than pickleball.

When playing at an intermediate-level singles game, a 150-pound person can burn 414 calories in an hour, while a 200-pound person can burn 524 calories in the same time.

These estimates might ring true for tennis, but they aren’t accurate for pickleball. Pickleball players cover a shorter area due to a smaller court. It’s similar to the area covered during doubles tennis. Also, check the What Kind Of Ball Is Used In Pickleball?

When playing pickleball, a 160-pound person can burn 250 calories in 30 minutes of friendly play. A 200-pound person can burn 350 calories in the same time and intensity. A competitive game burns more calories.

When playing harder, a 160-pound person could burn 350 calories, while a 200-pound person can burn 475 calories. It’s also estimated that while playing pickleball, your step count can be anywhere from 4000 steps to 7000 steps, depending on your playstyle and intensity.

How Many Calories Are Burned In A Pickleball Game?

From this information, we can assume that a typical 3 pickleball sets take around an hour to complete. Depending on how hard you play, you can burn 500-700 calories in a full game.

When you play pickleball, the main factor which determines how many calories you’ll burn is the intensity at which you play. Working harder means your body will use more calories.

So, if you want to burn more calories, play more competitively! Run faster, jump higher, use your strength and power to try and win. Also, check the How to Choose a Pickleball Paddle?

This will get your heart rate high, pump blood around your body, and have you sweat more as you use up stored energy. Just be sure to stay hydrated!

As you exercise, your body tries to stay cool by sweating. This can dehydrate you if you don’t replenish its water supply. Keep a bottle of water nearby, and challenge a friend to a fun, but competitive game!

Can I Lose Weight Playing Pickleball?

Yes, You can easily lose weight if you play a pickleball game. As we all know for losing weight we have to burn our calories or we have to decrease calorie intake. A healthy man eats 2000 calories by different means. So if you play pickleball for 30 minutes, you are likely to burn 250 calories, and if you play it for 60 minutes per day so you are likely to burn 500 calories per day. In this way, you will be burning more calories so you can easily lose weight.