Watch: How many calories do you burn within an hour of darts?

Former pro darter and now YouTube creator Matthew Edgar explored a striking question in his latest podcast: how many calories do you actually burn during an hour of darts?

The topic produced a surprising response, although Edgar cautions that enthusiasts should not confuse it with a serious workout. Edgar explains that during a training session, he suddenly started thinking about the physical side of the sport. "I was throwing and thought: is darts actually a form of exercise? How many calories would I burn in an hour of throwing?" he says.

According to Edgar, there is no question that calories are burned. "Everything we do burns calories. We’ve got a natural calorie burn which comes from different things: movement, the thermic effect of food – the way in which our body digests food. From walking down the stairs to everyday activities, we’re always burning something."

No fat burning zone

Edgar points out that sports scientists often work with heart rate zones. For his age (38), a heart rate of around 110 beats per minute would fall into the so-called "fat-burning zone. "By definition, darts isn’t continuous training, it isn’t strength training, it isn’t aerobic work. But we are exercising, we are moving, we are burning calories – so we are doing something.

With that, he says, darts does not fall under traditional forms We’re walking, which is essentially resistance of body weight. "That’s going to be different for everyone – if you’re 10 stone or 17 stone, the resistance and the heart rate response will differ. But the fact is, we’re taking steps, then stopping, then taking steps again. In a match, when you’re stood behind your opponent waiting, you’re doing even less. So in a game, the calorie burn is reduced compared to practice."

To get a concrete answer, Edgar did the math himself. He estimates his own burn during an hour of darts at about 120 calories. "That’s classed as low-intensity, light exercise – not even light-to-moderate. Just light."

To test his calculation, he also consulted online tools. For example, fitday.com gave a score of 123 calories per hour for his weight and height. NutraCheck came up with 108 calories, but that was based on a lighter 65-pound person.

"Now, I know people will say, well, what if you’re 203 pounds of muscle versus 203 pounds of fat? And yes, body composition matters. But this is just a guide. My calculation was 120, FitDay says 123. That’s consistent.

"Then I looked at NutraCheck, which lists different activities and their calorie burns. They say darts is 108 calories per hour – but that’s based on a 65kg person. Again, a lighter weight means fewer calories burned. That actually backs up my claim: for someone like me, 120 per hour is about right."

"Absolutely do move."

So while darts is not a top sporting achievement in terms of fitness, Edgar feels it is important to emphasize that something does happen. "Is darts exercise? Absolutely. You’re not developing cardiovascular fitness, endurance, flexibility or strength – the main components of exercise. But you are burning calories, on average around 120 per hour."

And with a wink, he concludes his podcast, "So, next time you’re heading down to the shed for a three-hour practice, just tell the missus: “I’m off to do a workout.”