How Many Calories Do NBA Players Burn?

Find out how many calories NBA players burn during a game.

Introduction

Although we have a general understanding that professional athletes are in excellent shape and lead very physically active lifestyles, we often don’t realize the true extent of their physical activity and the enormous amount of calories they burn on a daily basis.

In order to maintain their playing weight and body fat percentage, NBA players have to burn a tremendous number of calories every day. The average NBA player burns between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day, with some players burning as many as 4,000 or 5,000 calories.

To put this into perspective, the average sedentary man only burns around 2,000 calories per day, while the average sedentary woman burns around 1,500 calories per day. So NBA players are burning anywhere from 1 to 2 times the number of calories as sedentary people.

But how do they burn all these calories? Let’s take a look at some of the ways NBA players burn calories both during games and during practice.

NBA Players and Calorie Expenditure

NBA players are some of the most physically fit athletes in the world. They are also some of the most calorie-conscious, as they have to be in order to perform at their best. So, how many calories do NBA players burn?

Factors That Affect Calorie Expenditure

Several factors affect the number of calories you burn, including:
-Body size and composition. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest. And the bigger you are, the more calories you burn both while working out and while at rest.
-Exercise intensity. You’ll burn more calories per minute if you workout at a higher intensity. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is especially effective in burning calories and body fat.
-Age. As you age, your metabolism slows and you lose muscle mass. As a result, you need fewer calories to maintain your weight.

Body size

The average NBA player is 6’7” tall and weighs 215 pounds. So, what does this mean for how many calories they burn?

Well, according to the National Institutes of Health, a 6’7” man who weighs 215 pounds burns about 2,650 calories in a day. But of course, NBA players are not sedentary; they are constantly running, jumping, and playing defense. So how many more calories do they burn during a game?

To find out, we can look at a study that was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. This study found that during an hour-long basketball game, players burned an average of 714 calories. This means that during a 48-minute game, NBA players are burning around 571 calories.

But 571 calories is still far below the 2,650 that they would burn if they were sedentary. So where do the other 2,000+ calories go?

Activity level

In order to explain how many calories NBA players burn, we must first understand what their activity level is. The activity level is a measure of the intensity and duration of physical activity. It is expressed as a multiple of the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The BMR is the amount of energy required to maintain vital body functions at rest. For example, the BMR for a 25-year-old male who weighs 160 pounds and is 6 feet tall would be 1,948 kcal/day.

The activity level of an NBA player would be classified as very high. They are constantly running, jumping, and moving around on the court. In addition, they are also performing strength-training exercises such as lifting weights and doing plyometrics. A rough estimate of an NBA player’s activity level would be 4 to 5 times their BMR. So, for our 25-year-old male player who weighs 160 pounds and is 6 feet tall, his daily calorie expenditure would be around 7,792 kcal/day.

This number may seem like a lot, but it’s actually not that far off from what other athletes in other sports burn. For example, marathon runners can expend up to 9,000 kcal/day during training runs. Also, keep in mind that NBA players are not expending this amount of energy every day. They typically have one or two games per week and practice several times per week. Their daily calorie expenditure will be lower on days when they are not playing or practicing.

Playing time

On average, NBA players burn about 102 calories per minute when playing.

Calorie Expenditure During a Game

When you watch an NBA game, it’s easy to see that the players are in excellent shape. What you might not realize is just how many calories they burn during a game.

To give you an idea, the average player will burn around 1,200 calories during a 48-minute game. That’s the equivalent of running six miles!

Of course, this number will vary depending on the player’s position and how much they are running up and down the court. For example, a point guard who is constantly running back and forth is going to burn more calories than a center who spends most of the game near the basket.

Interestingly, even though they are burned calories at a high rate, NBA players don’t tend to eat much more than the average person. Most players consume between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day, which is only slightly more than the recommended amount for sedentary adults.

So, how do they stay in such great shape? In addition to playing basketball, most NBA players also follow a strict workout routine that includes weightlifting, cardio exercises, and stretching.

Running

Although much of the game is spent running, players only burn a moderate number of calories due to the stop-and-start nature of play. A 2008 study published in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” found that male college basketball players burned an average of 350 calories during a 40-minute game. This amounted to a calorie burn rate of 8.75 calories per minute, which is about midway between walking (4 mph) and jogging (8 mph).

Jumping

Jumping is a frequent movement in basketball and can be used for shooting, rebounding, or defense. On average, during a game NBA players will jump approximately 26 times per game, or about once every 3 minutes. A 2008 study looked at the calorie expenditure of five male NBA players during an actual game and found that on average they expended 3.6 calories per jump. Therefore, it’s estimated that an NBA player expends about 93 calories per game just from jumping.

Shooting

NBA players burn a lot of calories when they’re on the court. In fact, during a game, they can expend up to 1,500 calories! And, of course, the more active players will burn more calories than those who are less active.

One way to think about it is that NBA players burn about .3 calories per minute when they’re shooting. So, if a player is on the court for 30 minutes and takes 50 shots, they would have expended approximately 4.5 calories per minute.

Dribbling

Dribbling is a fundamental skill used in basketball to keep possession of the ball while moving around the court. The average NBA player burns approximately .4 calories per minute while dribbling.

Passing

During a NBA game, players are constantly moving and burning calories. The average player burns between 400 and 600 calories per game, but how many calories does a player burn while passing the ball?

A study by the University of Wisconsin found that players burn an average of 6.8 calories per minute while passing the ball. So, if a player is on the court for an entire game, they could burn up to 408 calories just from passing the ball!

Rebounding

When a player rebounds, they are using energy to jump and move their body around the court. Depending on the player’s position, they may be required to do more rebounding than others. A power forward, for example, will likely do more rebounding than a point guard.

The amount of calories burned while rebounding will depend on the player’s weight and the intensity of the activity. A 150-pound player could burn approximately 150 calories in 30 minutes of rebound activity. A 200-pound player could burn approximately 200 calories in 30 minutes of rebound activity.

Calorie Expenditure During Practice

During an NBA game, each player burns an average of 270 to 350 calories. But that’s not all. NBA players also have to endure grueling practices where they can burn up to 1,000 calories per session! To keep their energy levels up during these long and difficult practices, many players turn to energy drinks or bars. However, some players have started to experiment with CBD oil as a natural way to boost their energy and improve their focus.

Conclusion

Based on the detailed calculations above, it’s safe to say that the average NBA player burns around 1400-1800 calories per game. In a 48-minute game, that’s around 30-40 calories per minute. Of course, this varies depending on the player’s position, weight, height, and playing style.