Calories Burned Judo at 85 kg — 876 kcal per Hour
Judo at 85 kg (187 lb) burns about 876 kcal per hour. That figure comes from the activity's MET value of 10.3 in the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, multiplied by body weight: 10.3 × 85 kg × 1 hour = 876 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.
Judo is the Japanese art of throws, holds and groundwork: grip your opponent, break their balance, throw them to the mat, then control them on the ground. A training session mixes technique drilling, where you repeat a throw dozens of times, with randori — free sparring against a resisting partner — and randori is where the burn comes from, because you are moving another person's full body weight while they do the same to you.
At 10.3 METs, judo is one of the highest-burning activities on this site, level with competitive swimming strokes and martial arts generally. An hour at this weight burns the figure on this page, which is more than running at 6 mph. That is the honest picture of a hard randori session — but it is also a demanding sport on the joints, and the figure describes real training, not watching from the side of the mat.
Calculate your own numbers
Use the calorie calculator to work out your own burn for judo 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 running calorie calculator to see how this session fits into your total daily energy use.
Related pages in this section:
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 10.3 METs therefore uses 10.3 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 is the one recorded for this activity in the FitCalc activity data, taken from the Compendium.
Worked through for this page:
- MET for judo: 10.3
- Body weight: 85 kg (the midpoint of the 80-90 kg band, 176-198 lb)
- Duration: 1 hour
- Calculation: 10.3 × 85 × 1 = 876 kcal
For a 30-minute session the same calculation is 10.3 × 85 × 0.5 = 438 kcal. Nothing else is hidden in the maths — if your weight or duration changes, only those two numbers change.
Your numbers at 85 kg
| Duration | Calculation | Calories burned |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 10.3 × 85 × 0.25 | 219 kcal |
| 30 minutes | 10.3 × 85 × 0.5 | 438 kcal |
| 45 minutes | 10.3 × 85 × 0.75 | 657 kcal |
| 60 minutes | 10.3 × 85 × 1 | 876 kcal |
| 90 minutes | 10.3 × 85 × 1.5 | 1313 kcal |
That is about 14.6 kcal per minute of judo at this weight. A short session still counts: even 15 minutes burns 219 kcal, and three 15-minute sessions across a day add up to the same 657 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 | 566 kcal | 283 kcal |
| 65 kg | 670 kcal | 335 kcal |
| 75 kg | 772 kcal | 386 kcal |
| 85 kg | 876 kcal | 438 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 judo compares
Here is judo against four other activities at the same 85 kg, all using the same MET formula:
| Activity | MET | Calories per hour at 85 kg |
|---|---|---|
| Judo | 10.3 | 876 kcal |
| Swimming breaststroke | 10.3 | 876 kcal |
| Martial arts | 10.3 | 876 kcal |
| Cycling, vigorous | 10.0 | 850 kcal |
| Running at 6 mph | 9.8 | 833 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 judo into your week
| Sessions per week | 30 minutes each | 60 minutes each |
|---|---|---|
| 2 sessions | 876 kcal | 1752 kcal |
| 3 sessions | 1314 kcal | 2628 kcal |
| 5 sessions | 2190 kcal | 4380 kcal |
A typical judo class lasts 60 to 90 minutes: warm-up and breakfalls (ukemi), technique practice with a partner, then several rounds of randori, each lasting a few minutes, with short rests between. A 60-minute class at this weight burns the figure on this page. Because randori is close to maximal effort, most clubs keep the rounds short and the total randori time modest — the intensity does the work, and more is not always better. At 10.3 METs, judo counts as vigorous activity, so it contributes directly towards the widely used target of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week for adults. To burn 500 kcal from judo alone takes about 35 minutes at 85 kg, and 1,000 kcal takes about 69 minutes — spread across the week, that is far more realistic than trying to do it in one session. Build up gradually — add 10% to your weekly total at most, and keep at least one rest day.
How to use the result
What changes the burn for judo in practice:
Randori versus drilling: free sparring is the most intense part of judo by a wide margin. Drilling a throw with a cooperative partner costs far less, because the resistance is controlled and the pace is yours. A class heavy on randori burns far more per hour than a technique-focused class.
Partner size: grappling with a heavier partner costs more energy, because every throw, lift and hold moves more weight. It also costs more in grip strength and core effort — the two things that tire first in randori.
Groundwork versus standing: ne-waza (groundwork) is a different kind of hard: less throwing, more sustained squeezing, bridging and escaping. The heart rate stays high but the impact load is lower, which is why many older judoka shift towards groundwork as their knees age.
Your experience: beginners burn more per throw than experts, because their movement is less efficient. As technique improves, the same throw costs less energy — which is good for your judo and slightly bad for your calorie count, though by then you are doing more randori to compensate.
Practical tips for this activity:
Learn breakfalls properly before anything else — ukemi is the skill that keeps you safe every time you are thrown, and it is worth weeks of practice.
Tap early and tap often in groundwork; there is no prize for holding out against a locked armbar, and an injured elbow costs months.
Grip strength is the first thing to fail in randori — towel hangs and farmer's carries between sessions help more than extra mat time.
Start with two classes a week: at 10.3 METs the whole body needs recovery, and three hard sessions in your first month is how shoulders and ribs get hurt.
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 note at 85 kg
At 85 kg you sit at the heavier end of the four weight bands on this site, and that shapes how the numbers feel in practice. Your absolute burn is the highest of the four bands — 876 kcal per hour here against 876 kcal at 85 kg — but your burn per kilogram of body weight is identical, because the MET formula is linear: every kilogram costs the same. In practical terms that means duration and frequency matter more for you than for a heavier person doing the same activity if you are lighter, and less if you are heavier. Two 45-minute sessions will usually serve you better than one 90-minute session, because you accumulate the same total with less fatigue in each outing, and you are less likely to run into the joint and muscle soreness that long sessions cause. If you are tracking weight loss, remember that a smaller body also means a smaller total daily expenditure, so a 300–500 kcal deficit is a larger share of your day than it is for someone heavier — keep the deficit at the modest end of that range and let the activity do its work over weeks, not days.
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 85 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. Judo's 10.3 METs assumes real training — drilling plus randori at normal club intensity. A gentle technique class with no sparring burns considerably less, and a competition burns more. The figure does not account for body composition, fitness or the size of your training partners, and it says nothing about impact: throws load the shoulders, ribs and knees, and the injury risk is real. Judo is an outstanding workout and a genuine martial art, but it is not a low-impact choice, and anyone with a joint or heart condition should get clearance and a coach who controls randori intensity before starting. Use the calorie figure as a planning estimate, and judge the activity by how you feel doing it and whether you keep doing it.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does judo burn per hour?
At this weight, about 876 kcal per hour, from 10.3 METs × weight × 1 hour. Thirty minutes burns about 438 kcal and 90 minutes about 1313 kcal. Those figures assume a normal class with drilling and randori; a technique-only class without sparring burns less, and a competition burns more.
Is judo good for weight loss?
It can help, but only as part of an overall calorie deficit. At this weight an hour of judo burns about 876 kcal, which is a large contribution — but weight loss still comes from the total balance of food and activity across the week. 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.
Does judo burn more calories than karate?
At the Compendium level they are rated the same: both judo and karate are listed at 10.3 METs, so the hourly burn at the same weight is identical. In practice the session mix matters more than the label — a randori-heavy judo class burns more than a kata-focused karate class, and vice versa. Choose the art you enjoy, not the one with the bigger number.
Why am I so tired after judo if I only trained for an hour?
Because 10.3 METs is very hard work, and randori adds a kind of effort that steady cardio does not: maximal gripping, lifting another person, and constant changes of direction. Your grip, core and lungs all fatigue at once, which is why an hour of judo can feel harder than two hours of running. That fatigue is normal — it is also why two sessions a week is plenty when you start.
Is judo safe for beginners?
Judo is safe when it is taught properly and dangerous when it is not. A good club spends weeks on breakfalls before any real throwing, controls randori intensity, and pairs beginners with experienced partners who look after them. Ask about the beginner programme before joining, and walk away from any club that throws new students around on day one.
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.