Calories Burned Playing cricket at 55 kg — 264 kcal per Hour
Playing cricket at 55 kg (110–132 lb) burns about 264 kcal per hour. That figure comes from the activity's MET value of 4.8 in the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, multiplied by body weight: 4.8 × 55 kg × 1 hour = 264 kcal. This page works the numbers out in full — for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes, across all four weight bands, and against four comparable activities at the same weight — so you can plan sessions with real figures instead of guessing.
Cricket is a game of bursts inside long stretches of lower activity: fielders walk and jog between balls, sprint for a catch, and throw hard; batters run between the wickets in short, sharp sprints; bowlers run in and deliver with a full-body action. A match can last hours, so the total energy adds up even though much of the time is spent standing or walking. The Compendium rates it at 4.8 METs, a moderate intensity, the same value as walking a golf course.
It suits players who enjoy team sport and long, social games, and it works for a wide range of fitness levels because the roles are so different — a fast bowler works far harder than a slip fielder. The headline number to remember is 264 kcal per hour at 55 kg, or about 132 kcal for a 30-minute session. Everything below is an estimate: MET values are population averages, and your own burn will vary with fitness, your role in the team and conditions. That does not make the numbers useless — it makes them a planning tool, and a good one, as long as you treat them as approximate.
Calculate your own numbers
Use the Calorie calculator to work out your own burn for playing cricket at your exact weight and session length. Enter your weight, pick the activity and set the duration, and the tool applies the same MET formula shown below. You can also try the Maintenance calorie calculator to see how this session fits into your total daily energy use.
Related pages in this section:
- Calories Burned Playing cricket at 85 kg — 408 kcal per Hour
- Calories Burned Playing cricket at 65 kg — 312 kcal per Hour
- Calories Burned Playing cricket at 75 kg — 360 kcal per Hour
- Calories burned hub
The formula, shown and cited
The standard way to estimate the energy cost of an activity is the MET formula from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011; 43(8): 1575–1581):
Calories (kcal) = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours)
One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly at rest — about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 4.8 METs therefore uses 4.8 times as much energy as resting. The Compendium's MET values come from published studies that measured oxygen use during each activity, so they are measured averages, not guesses. The value used here, 4.8, is the one recorded for playing cricket in the FitCalc activity data, taken from the 2011 Compendium.
Worked through for this page:
- MET for playing cricket: 4.8
- Body weight: 55 kg (the midpoint of the 50-60 kg band, 110–132 lb)
- Duration: 1 hour
- Calculation: 4.8 × 55 × 1 = 264 kcal
For a 30-minute session the same calculation is 4.8 × 55 × 0.5 = 132 kcal. Nothing else is hidden in the maths — if your weight or duration changes, only those two numbers change.
Your numbers at 55 kg
| Duration | Calculation | Calories burned |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 4.8 × 55 × 0.25 | 66 kcal |
| 30 minutes | 4.8 × 55 × 0.5 | 132 kcal |
| 45 minutes | 4.8 × 55 × 0.75 | 198 kcal |
| 60 minutes | 4.8 × 55 × 1 | 264 kcal |
| 90 minutes | 4.8 × 55 × 1.5 | 396 kcal |
That is about 4.4 kcal per minute of playing cricket at this weight. A short session still counts: even 15 minutes burns 66 kcal, and three 15-minute sessions across a day add up to the same 198 kcal as one 45-minute session.
How the burn changes with body weight
The MET value stays the same — it describes the activity, not the person — but the calorie total scales with weight, because a heavier body costs more energy to move:
| Body weight | Calories per hour | Calories per 30 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 264 kcal | 132 kcal |
| 65 kg | 312 kcal | 156 kcal |
| 75 kg | 360 kcal | 180 kcal |
| 85 kg | 408 kcal | 204 kcal |
Two people doing the same activity for the same time can therefore burn quite different amounts, and that is expected — it is physics, not a mistake in the formula. If your weight sits between two rows, your figure sits between the two values.
How playing cricket compares
Here is playing cricket against four other activities at the same 55 kg, all using the same MET formula:
| Activity | MET | Calories per hour at 55 kg |
|---|---|---|
| playing cricket | 4.8 | 264 kcal |
| playing golf while walking the course | 4.8 | 264 kcal |
| playing baseball | 5 | 275 kcal |
| playing softball | 5 | 275 kcal |
| playing volleyball | 4 | 220 kcal |
Use this table to choose, not to judge. A higher number means a harder session, not a better one: the activity you enjoy and repeat three times a week beats the activity that burns more per hour but that you quit after a fortnight. Mixing intensities across the week — one harder session, two easier ones — is usually more sustainable than doing the hardest activity every time.
Fitting playing cricket into your week
| Sessions per week | 30 minutes each | 60 minutes each |
|---|---|---|
| 2 sessions | 264 kcal | 528 kcal |
| 3 sessions | 396 kcal | 792 kcal |
| 5 sessions | 660 kcal | 1320 kcal |
At 4.8 METs, playing cricket counts as moderate-intensity activity, so it counts towards the widely used adult activity target of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Five 30-minute sessions a week would meet that target entirely and burn about 660 kcal a week at 55 kg. Because the intensity is moderate, it can be done most days, and it pairs well with one harder weekly session for variety.
How to use the result
Warm up the shoulders and hamstrings properly before bowling or throwing, because those are the two most common cricket injury sites. Fielders should stay active between balls — walk back to position briskly rather than standing still — and batters should run hard between the wickets, since that is where most of the batting burn comes from. Hydrate through a long match, especially in heat, and use the breaks between innings to eat something light rather than waiting until the end. Use the numbers on this page to set realistic expectations rather than to chase a daily total. If you are tracking food as well, add the session's calories to your total daily energy expenditure for that day, and remember that the figure is an estimate with roughly 10–20% uncertainty. Do not eat back every calorie the calculator shows: activity trackers and MET estimates both tend to overstate slightly, and a small margin keeps a weight-loss plan on track. If you are aiming to lose weight, keep the deficit modest — 300–500 kcal a day is a common, sustainable range — and keep your total intake above the safety floors of 1,200 kcal a day for women and 1,500 kcal a day for men unless a healthcare professional advises otherwise. A limited-overs match typically lasts two to four hours, so a full game at this rate can burn well over 1,000 kcal in total.
What the number does NOT tell you
The MET formula is honest about what it measures and silent about the rest. It does not account for your fitness level: a fit person burns fewer calories doing the same activity than an unfit person, because their body is more efficient. It does not account for body composition — two people at 55 kg with different amounts of muscle and fat will burn slightly different amounts. It does not include the afterburn (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) that follows hard sessions, it does not measure strength, flexibility or balance gained, and it says nothing about how the activity affects your appetite, sleep or mood. It also cannot tell you whether the activity is safe for you: if you have a heart condition, joint problems, asthma or any other health concern, check with a healthcare professional before starting a new, intense activity. Use the calorie figure as a planning estimate, and judge the activity by how you feel doing it and whether you keep doing it.
The 4.8 MET figure is an average across all cricket roles, but the real cost depends heavily on what you do on the field: a fast bowler or an energetic outfielder burns far more per hour than a wicketkeeper standing still or a batter waiting at the non-striker's end. The figure also says nothing about the skill demands — timing, hand-eye coordination, throwing accuracy — or the sun exposure and dehydration risk of a long match in hot weather.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do I burn playing cricket for 30 minutes at 55 kg?
About 132 kcal. The maths is 4.8 METs × 55 kg × 0.5 hours = 132 kcal. That is an estimate from the Compendium average — your real burn depends on your fitness, your pace and the conditions. If you weigh more or less than 55 kg, use the weight table above to read your own figure.
Is playing cricket good for weight loss?
It can help, but only as part of an overall calorie deficit. At 55 kg, an hour of playing cricket burns about 264 kcal, which is a solid contribution, but weight loss still comes from the total balance of food and activity across the week, not from one session. Aim for a gradual loss of 0.5–1% of body weight per week, and never drop below 1,200 kcal a day (women) or 1,500 kcal a day (men) without medical supervision.
How does playing cricket compare with playing golf while walking the course?
At 55 kg, playing cricket burns about 264 kcal per hour against 264 kcal for playing golf while walking the course. The two are rated identically by this measure — both 4.8 METs — so they burn the same estimated calories at the same weight. The difference between them is the kind of activity, not the energy cost. The best choice is usually the one you will actually do several times a week — consistency matters more than a small difference in the hourly rate.
Does the calorie burn change if I weigh more or less than 55 kg?
Yes, directly. Calories = MET × weight in kg × hours, so the burn scales with body weight. At 55 kg the same hour of playing cricket burns about 264 kcal; at 85 kg it burns about 408 kcal. The MET value itself does not change with weight — it describes the intensity of the activity.
How accurate is the 4.8 MET value for playing cricket?
It is a population average from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.), which compiled measured energy costs across published studies. The Compendium lists an exact entry for this activity, so the value is not a substitute for a different activity. Individuals still vary by roughly 10–20% around the average because of fitness, body composition, technique and conditions. Treat 264 kcal per hour as a planning estimate, not a precise measurement of your own body.
How many calories does a full cricket match burn?
It depends on the format and your role, but the per-hour figure on this page is the starting point: at 55 kg, one hour of playing cricket burns about 264 kcal, so a three-hour limited-overs match works out to roughly 792 kcal of activity. A fast bowler or busy outfielder will exceed that average, while a player who fields in the slips and bats briefly will be below it. Treat the match total as a rough estimate, not a precise measurement.
Estimates only, not medical advice. Minimum safe intakes: 1,200 kcal/day women, 1,500 kcal/day men — consult a healthcare professional before a very-low-calorie diet.