Poll: What is the most physicly demanding sport?

[mrhockey220]

Watch some of the bull pistons nba games from the jordan era those were physically demanding. CLosest thing to a full contact wrestling match while running up and down a 60 foot court. damn shame they have neutered basketball so much anymore.

Professional hockey tho i gotta give the overall nod to just skating, cutting, hitting, on ice that takes some strength and stamina to do just the skating bit nevermind toss in the other stuff.

Baseball should not even be on there .

This.

I play hockey and its very demanding. You have to be strong, you have to be conditioned, and you have to stretch everyday to stay limber, especially if your the goalie.

Football is also pretty brutal too though.

 

[thethingthatlurks]

How do you mean physically demanding?
In terms of calories burned (in descending order):
-backcountry/crosscountry skiing and swimming
-long distance running (think marathon)
-rock climbing (almost vertical)
-any other long distance/time cardio
-regular sport (aka football, soccer, etc)

 

[Axzarious]

I vote Mortal Kombat! Not only do you have to be stronger, faster, and smarter than your opponent, you also have to be able to better withstand damage and trauma than they do.

 

[Polyg0n]

The most demanding one I`ve ever played is team handball. To put it roughly on many other team sports you have defense and offense separately and the other half can slow down a bit when the other takes over, but in handball the whole team must move as one. This toughness can be seen on the shorter play times. One game consists of two 30min periods as opposed to for example soccer`s 45min x2.

There is also a lot of physical contact in game. Even though the players don`t wear any protection. So it is very important to have good upper body physique in order to be able to take some hit without getting injured.

 

[esliang]

Breakdancing's actually pretty demanding because you need to move very rapidly and apply power moves quickly. Also, some moves make you spin around a lot so it can get really disorienting.

 

[spectrenihlus]

I vote water polo.

 

[Vinculi]

Well, the most physically demanding thing I've done was a season as a dancer in a stage production of "Cats", but its not *really* a sport in the same way as other sports. But dancing for two and a half hours under spotlights while singing is hard work.

Out of the options available, gotta go with swimming, although rugby should definitely be a contender.

 

[Azure Sky]

Wii Boxing, definitely =3

Seriously though, Australian NRL football is quite rough from what I have seen, like a toned down American football but without the hulking protective gear.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Seriously though, Australian NRL football is quite rough from what I have seen, like a toned down American football but without the hulking protective gear.

League? Heh... League gives up free flowing play of Union in exchange for being able to stiff arm people in the throat.


OT: A lot of sports are demanding in their own ways, be it through strength, stamina, endurance or what have you... Trying to pick the most physically demanding is comparing apples and orangutans.

 

[Megalodon]

American football is slow-paced, but it causes an absurd number of injuries every year. For that definition of "physically demanding", it easily tops the other options in the poll. Almost every former NFL star has some sort of debilitating health problem as a result of playing. Rugby also causes many injuries, but unlike American football, I don't know the statistics for it.

A good example of professional injury is Jonny Wilkinson. Since winning the world cup in 2003, he has repeatedly crippled his knees and shoulder resulting in very few appearances. He gets injured thanks to the brutal tackles he performs, which is a pity as he's one of the best tacklers and the best kicker England has. I think American football has so many injueries, ironically enough, because of the pads. The players are able to hit harder because there is less chance of them injuring themselves

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.

Well the smallest professional forwards are at least that weight, commonly at least 20lbs heavier. Backs tend to be around that mark or a little below. However if you are seriously claiming that american high school students are a match for professional rugby players, you are wrong, its as simple as that. Weight also does not equate to force of tackle, as some of the best tacklers on a rugby team tend to be the backs. Plus from what I've seen, the heaviest american football tackles are pretty much the normal tackle that occurs in any Premiership match. Rugby players are also less specialised than Amercican football players, meaning each individual player needs to do more. The games also last longer and have fewer breaks, meaning players need more endurance to get through the entire game.
So I'd say that Rugby is the more physically demanding game.

 

[Perryman93]

competitive swimmers swim between 60-80 thousand metres a week during their training! as well as gym training, running and cycling to keep them extra fit!

 

[Mr Cwtchy]

Don't tennis matches sometimes go on for several hours?

If so, then that.

 

[Sharps92]

Even though i'm probably biased I would probably say football (soccer). Simply because you are running for 90 minutes straight. It's different from track as its not continuous running which you can get a rhythm for. It's very stop start which I think is actually more tiring.

 

[Count Igor]

I find swimming to be one the least demanding actually.
I don't do running long distances well though, so track sports.

 

[The Maddest March Hare]

Parkour
That is considered a sport, right?

I think Parkour isn't considered a sport, but Freerunning is. They're basically the same except Freerunning is about the style, while Parkour is more of a transport/pastime focusing on fluidity of motion. I could be wrong of course, but either way I would vote Freerunning. Or Parkour, as the case may be.

You got that mixed up. Parkour is all about technique. Free running is about getting from one place to the other.

Actually according to the definition, freerunning is about the style and acrobatic prowess, such as in the World Freerunning Championships [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO86P2StIwk] where contestants are judged on style and use of terrain, rather than how they get from one place to another, whereas parkour is about efficiency of movement. Only Freerunning is an actual, competitive sport. They're pretty much identical beyond that.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Rugby players are also less specialised than Amercican football players, meaning each individual player needs to do more. The games also last longer and have fewer breaks, meaning players need more endurance to get through the entire game.

Ruggerbuggers (of both flavours) don't swap out the entire team when they go from defence to offense, either.

Nor is there any taking a breather on the pine in Union (can't remember if there is in League). If you come off the field you stay off except under special circumstances.

So I'd say that Rugby is the more physically demanding game.

I wouldn't say that. Running around in all that fucking armour is demanding in itself. I played Union, League and American Football in my younger days and each had its own set of demands. Not important to me which one was the most physically demanding because I stuck longest with the one I enjoyed playing the most (Union).

 

[Megalodon]

Rugby players are also less specialised than Amercican football players, meaning each individual player needs to do more. The games also last longer and have fewer breaks, meaning players need more endurance to get through the entire game.

Ruggerbuggers (of both flavours) don't swap out the entire team when they go from defence to offense, either.

Nor is there any taking a breather on the pine in Union (can't remember if there is in League). If you come off the field you stay off except under special circumstances.

Mainly you only go off if you're bleeding, then only long enough for the bleeding to stop.