Sport-Specific Calorie Burn Calculator

MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, a research-backed database maintained by exercise scientists. 1 MET = resting metabolic rate (3.5 mL O₂/kg/min). A MET of 5 means you burn 5× more calories than at rest. MET values for niche sports like padel and pickleball are estimated based on similar activities — pickleball at 4.0-5.0 METs (similar to doubles tennis), padel at 5.0-6.0 METs (between tennis doubles and singles), and ultimate frisbee at 8.0 METs (similar to interval running). Individual MET burn varies ±20% based on fitness, efficiency, and playing style.

Among trending sports: Pickleball (moderate play): 350-500 cal/hr. Padel (moderate): 400-600 cal/hr. Pickleball (competitive): 450-650 cal/hr. Padel (competitive): 500-700 cal/hr. Pickleball doubles burns less because of more down time. For comparison, singles tennis burns 500-700 cal/hr, running at 6mph burns 650-800 cal/hr. Pickleball and padel are lower impact than tennis but still provide excellent calorie burn. Spikeball (roundnet) burns 400-550 cal/hr due to constant movement. Disc golf burns 250-400 cal/hr depending on terrain.

Weight change during any sport is mostly water loss through sweat, not fat loss. A 2lb (0.9kg) drop during a 2-hour pickleball match is 90%+ water. True fat burn from a padel match is approximately 40-60g of fat (providing 360-540 calories) for a 150lb person, requiring a 3,500-calorie deficit per pound of fat. The sweat loss can make you think you burned 3× more calories than you actually did. Always rehydrate after weigh-in, and track weight weekly (not session-by-session) for fat loss trends.

Playing style dramatically changes calorie expenditure. An aggressive padel player who moves forward, hits smashes, and covers the net burns 25-35% more calories than a defensive baseline player. In pickleball, the "banger" (power hitter) burns 20% more than the "dinker" (soft game specialist). Doubles vs singles: singles burns 30-50% more calories than doubles in both sports because you cover more court. Match format also matters: best-of-3 in padel (~90 min) burns more than best-of-3 in pickleball (~45 min) mainly due to longer duration.