How Many Calories Does Lacrosse Burn?

Lacrosse calories by weight & duration

The ~562 cal/hr figure is a MET-based estimate for a 155 lb person and will be higher or lower depending on your actual weight, fitness level, and how intensely you play. Log your sessions in the Mariposas app to track your personal burn over time and see how your output changes as your conditioning improves.

Calculated as MET (8) × body weight (kg) × hours. How this works.

What to expect in a lacrosse class

A first session will almost certainly feel more cardio-heavy than you expect, especially if you're still learning to cradle or pass. Most introductory sessions spend the early portion on stick-handling drills and short passing patterns before moving into small-sided scrimmages where the real conditioning kicks in. The pace is dictated by turnovers and transitions, so there's rarely a clean break, and even when play pauses, you'll likely be repositioning on the field.

Tips for your first lacrosse class

• Get comfortable with the cradle before your first session. Even five minutes of walking while rocking the stick head back and forth will stop the ball from rattling out every time you move.
• Wear real athletic cleats if possible. Lacrosse involves hard cuts on grass or turf, and flat-soled trainers will cost you traction at the exact moment you're trying to accelerate.
• Stay on the balls of your feet during play. Most first-timers plant their heels when they're uncertain what to do next, which kills reaction time and makes lateral movement awkward.
• Communicate with teammates constantly. Calling for the ball early, before you're in a perfect spot, is far more useful than waiting until you're wide open and the window has closed.

What affects how many calories lacrosse burns

The 562 cal/hr estimate applies to a 155 lb person playing at a sustained, active pace, and the number scales meaningfully with body weight and how much ground you actually cover. A midfielder who runs the full field on both offense and defense will burn considerably more than someone playing a stationary role near the crease. Weather, surface hardness, and whether the game features lots of transition or slower half-court-style possession also shift the real-world demand noticeably.

Three things move your number most: body weight (a heavier body burns more for the same activity, that's why the table runs from 125 to 225 lb), duration (calories scale with time), and intensity. A lacrosse you push hard burns more than an easy one, because effort is what the MET value of 8 represents, an average for this activity. Your fitness level and how much you rest between efforts shift it too, so treat these as a solid estimate rather than an exact count.

How we calculate lacrosse calories

Every number here uses the standard energy-expenditure formula: calories ≈ MET × body weight (kg) × time (hours). The MET value of 8 for lacrosse comes from the published Compendium of Physical Activities, the same reference researchers and fitness trackers use. We convert your weight to kilograms and multiply through, no fudge factors. See our methodology for the full formula and sources.