Poll: What is the most physicly demanding sport?

[Korolev]

I'm pretty sure it's a triathelon. Okay, it's more of an event than a sport. Same thing with British SAS training - although that's brutal, it's not a sport

Mountaineering is pretty demanding. But you can go at your own pace, so maybe it's not as tough, and it also depends on the mountain you're climbing.

I wouldn't pick football, basketball, rugby, American football or tennis, seeing as you can rest at predetermined intervals.

Long distance swimming would be a good candidate. Bicycle riding is also a good candidate, especially in the marathons. But then again, normal marathons are also demanding.

However, I think sprints are the most demanding. If you've ever seen the Olympic 100m sprint, you'll notice that they get very tired very quickly. They're pouring with sweat after running for less than half a minute in some cases.

So yeah, that's what I'm going to go for - olympic running. I would think it's pretty bloody exhausting.

 

[Helimocopter]

endurance type sports are probably the hardest, just by their nature

 

[RowdyRodimus]

I'm going to have to go with something most don't consider a "real" sport but based on my involvement in it and other sports, I'm saying pro wrestling. Now before you all go "but it's fake", I want you to tell that to my knee, back, neck, shoulder, sternum and ribs. Not only are you always needing to train (unless your gimmick is something like Mick Foley or Super Porky), you're always traveling and then in the ring 10-60 minutes a day 200+ times a year and sometimes with double bookings.

It might not sound like much but try jumping up and down for 15 minutes non stop, then fall on your back 20 times and start jumping again. Now do that everyday and you'll see why so many of the boys get addicted to pain pills and other forms of "medication".

 

[asinann]

It all depends on what is being demanded. I have yet to see an all-star track runner that can bench 500lbs, but most people in the NFL can't run the 100 meter in under 11 seconds (though there ARE exceptions to this, a wide receiver has an Olympic gold medal in track.) I DO know that most soccer players have some speed and a ton of endurance, but if you hit them hard one time they fall down and don't get up.

And rugby WOULD be the tough guys they claimed to be, if they were the same size as the average football player. The average pro rugby player is approximately the same size as a high school football player, doesn't run as fast and doesn't hit as hard as a football player in HIGH SCHOOL. Call me when rugby players average over 250lbs, still run 4.3 40s and hit 40+ times a game with the equivalent force of a 35mph (56kph) collision. Then do it all without pads.

American football has a wider required skill set to be able to play well.
Track you get to specialize in something (distance running, javelin, sprinting.)
Rugby requires the same skill set as American football, but not as much of any of those skills except endurance.

 

[dbungus2000]

swimming uses muscles you don't even know about

 

[Sikachu]

OT: Water polo for sure. It's full-contact, swimming, treading water, and throwing a ball around. It is seriously difficult to play and any really good players look like aliens if you see their bodies. I don't really count combination sports like Ironman or tri-athletes (etc.).

 

[A random person]

Wrestling, I had a coach that said you had to be in ten times better condition to wrestle than to play football. Of course, wrestling is also fun.

 

[ottenni]

Thats an impossible question to answer. How are we supposed to compare rugby to a marathon? They use different aspects of physical fitness.

Personally i really admire marathon runners. Not only do they run a ridiculous distance they run it fast. The current world record holder ran at a pace of 20.4km an hour for over 2 hours. Thats ridiculous.

Honorable mentions also go to mixed martial arts, water polo, gymnastics and rugby (mostly for scrums).

 

[ace_of_something]

Those bizzare strong man compititons where they have to do a caber toss (sp?) back flips and pull a bus in under 30 seconds.
Or water polo.

 

[nin_ninja]

American Football, just because I always play center and get trampled by guys my height but 50 lbs heavier.

 

[crudus]

We both agree that swimming is the most physicly demanding sport, because you have to deal with water resistance and you have to go fast.

I knew a swimmer and it wasn't that physically demanding but it was demanding of the soul. She practiced probably 4-5 hours a day except Sunday. When they were on breaks like spring and winter break practice was 7-8 hours daily. Still I think racing is the most physically demanding. I find sitting in a room that is 80-90 degrees when I have fans on me and no clothing taxing. I can't imagine sitting in an 120-130 degree room with a helmet and full flame retardant suit for hours on end and still needing to concentrate.

 

[PrimoThePro]

Well, I say practicing Martial Arts can be the most gruelling as well as the most painful, depending on your level. (Currently black belt, and every session I go to I get into a fight with 3 other black belts) So... Ya. If you're a whitebelt, then it's not so difficult.

 

[superbatranger]

I can't pick just one. Swimming is pretty demanding, especially when dealing with water resistance over long distances. So is track, according to friends back in high school who did it. Soccer, because you're running nonstop for 2 45-minute periods. Hockey, because...well, they're skating nonstop, which is tiring in and of itself, plus they have to deal with being hit so often.

But, what do I know? I could be wrong. I mean, this is highly subjective.

 

[foodmaniac]

IMO tennis is a pretty demanding sport.

 

[ffxfriek]

Id say wrestling of hockey crazy intense stuff there

 

[Anarchemitis]

Isn't European rules Football (aka US Soccer) the game where if you break an ankle, you just wrap it up with a bandage and keep going?

Anyways, War was the most demanding sport pre-Boelcke [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_Boelcke].

Obligatory sarcastic remark: Wii Bowling.

 

[ADDLibrarian]

I said soccer because any sport where the FANS can get hurt as much as the players is pretty hardcore.
I hear that swimming works almost every muscle in your body though and is great exercise.