Best Sports to Burn Calories, Ranked (2026)

Boxing burns 274 calories in 30 minutes, followed by Tennis at 257 calories and Skating at 246 calories. These figures apply to a 155-pound person.

This post ranks various sports and recreational activities based on calories burned for a 155-pound person. Calorie burn is influenced by factors such as METs, body weight, duration, and intensity of the activity.

What Makes an Exercise Burn the Most Calories?

Exercises that burn more calories typically have higher MET values, indicating greater intensity. Additionally, a person's body weight and the duration of the activity also play significant roles in determining calorie expenditure.

Best Sports to Burn Calories, Ranked

The following table ranks sports by calories burned, providing insights into the most effective activities for calorie burning.

All calories are for a 155-pound (70 kg) person; a heavier body burns more, a lighter body less.

#	Exercise	METs	Calories (30 min)	Calories (1 hour)	Impact
1	Boxing	7.8	274 cal	548 cal	high
2	Tennis	7.3	257 cal	513 cal	moderate
3	Skating	7.0	246 cal	492 cal	moderate
4	Soccer	7.0	246 cal	492 cal	high
5	Basketball	6.5	228 cal	457 cal	high
6	Skiing	6.0	211 cal	422 cal	moderate
7	Badminton	5.5	193 cal	387 cal	moderate
8	Dancing	5.5	193 cal	387 cal	moderate
9	Golf	4.8	169 cal	337 cal	low
10	Table Tennis	4.0	141 cal	281 cal	low
11	Volleyball	4.0	141 cal	281 cal	moderate

Tracking Exercise in Nutrola

Calories burned only count toward your goal if you record them. Nutrola lets you log a workout by describing it in your own words by voice or text, by picking an exercise type and intensity, or by entering the calories directly, and on iOS and Android it can sync workouts automatically from Apple Health or Health Connect. Logged workouts sit next to the food you track from a photo, barcode, or voice entry, so calories in and calories out stay in one place. Nutrola is available from EUR 2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

For related references, see how many calories boxing burns, highest calorie-burning exercises, best low-impact exercises to burn calories.

How We Compiled These Numbers

Exercises are ranked by MET (metabolic equivalent) value from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.). Calories are estimated with calories = METs x body weight in kilograms x duration in hours, shown for a 155-pound person over 30 minutes and one hour. Real burn varies with fitness, technique, terrain, and effort, so treat these as close estimates. This is educational and not medical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which sport burns the most calories?

Boxing burns the most calories, at 274 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

How many calories does Tennis burn?

Tennis burns 257 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

What is the calorie burn for Skating?

Skating burns 246 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

How many calories does Soccer burn?

Soccer burns 246 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

What is the calorie burn for Basketball?

Basketball burns 228 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

How many calories does Golf burn?

Golf burns 169 calories in 30 minutes for a 155-pound person.

Key Takeaways

• Boxing burns 274 calories in 30 minutes.
• Tennis burns 257 calories in 30 minutes.
• Skating burns 246 calories in 30 minutes.
• Soccer burns 246 calories in 30 minutes.
• Basketball burns 228 calories in 30 minutes.
• Golf burns 169 calories in 30 minutes.