Hardest Sport in the World?

[Machu Picchu]

When comparing cycling to boxing you also have to compare the level in which you compete, a top boxer will often only fight once or twice a year whereas a top cyclist will compete for much longer.

You have to balance the boxers sport and training being much more fatiguing on the body than the cyclists.

 

[laziali]

1. Marathon de Sables
2. UFC
....

[pick a number] TDF / Paris-Roubaix

 

[rhubroma]

cycling is overrated as a hard sport. hard efforts are limited by human cardio physiology, even in a grand tour - you can't go 100% all day (or even 80%). of course the standard at the top level is high and the lifestyle is tough.

i personally think one-on-one confrontation is necessary to make a sport genuinely hard - any team or tactical sport allows a certain amount of individual slacking off.

boxing probably is the hardest mainstream sport. try going twelve 3-minute rounds against a bag - without having to concentrate 100% on your opponent, parry or take any blows. if you're like me you may find it difficult to stand there with your guard up by the end.
other fighting sports are variations on the theme - sumo training is pretty demanding on the body even if the fights are quick and easy.

rugby is an interesting one - they reckon playing an international match places similar strains on the body to being involved in a serious car crash.

You have obiously never been pushed to your limit on several climbs lasting 45 minutes each and, in the end, were so exhausted and in pain that in the last haul up to the finish line had the added unpleasant senstation that you were peeing yourself even though not.

Not saying that boxing is a walk in the park, but cycling can be just brutal. The only statement that I subscribe to that LA made was: "sometimes you the hammer, sometimes you the nail." When you get to a certain level, if you have reason to fight on but are in any case not the strongest, being the nail means finding yourself in long relationhip with calvary.

 

[Marva32]

One of the sports I've been thinking of in this category is the Ironman Triathlon series. It's a situation where you are involved in 3 different sports pushing your body to the limit. For some, the competition gets pushed by others, but for most, they are pushing themselves to their limits. The training endures day after day as well, and most days they are training 2 if not all 3 sports.

 

[indurain666]

All sports are hard if you do them at a high level here is my list:

-Endurance cycling, I don't know why people think endurance is a 50% effort over afew hours

-Track cycling: 1 km TT, I used to race track as a junior, painful, very painful

-Track and Field: 400 m

-Swimming: 100 m...long anaerobic effort

-Boxing/mixed martial arts: so much punishment...

 

[indurain666]

rugby is an interesting one - they reckon playing an international match places similar strains on the body to being involved in a serious car crash.

That just doesn't make any sense at all

 

[Merckx index]

FWIW, after the NY Marathon, LA said he had never felt so totally exhausted at any time during his bike racing career. The fact that any fit person can cycle 100 miles a day or more tells you something. Sure, there is cycling and racing, but the fact that riders can race 100 miles a day tells you something. You can't run a marathon every day, not at speeds remotely approaching what you can run on a one day only basis. This is simply because running taxes all the major muscles of the body, not just some of them. The recovery needed from one marathon is far greater than the recovery from one 100+ mile bike race. It would probably be a little different if bike racing didn't involve drafting. It would be harder to do 100 mile TTs every day. But I'm sure racers could do it at speeds not way, way off from what they do it on a one shot basis. Look at the fact that at the end of the TDF, contenders rider ITTs at very high speeds.

In the end, of course, if one sport makes fewer demands on some skills than another, then the cream of the crop spend all their time focussing on just one or a very few skills, to a degree that would be impossible in a sport demanding many skills. So one can always make the argument that any one sport is just as demanding as another. Since bike racing doesn't require a lot of training for agility or hand-eye coordination, racers put proportionally more of their time into endurance training. It's not like they're having it easy, in their own way they're making just as much efforts as athletes in any other sport. But I have the greatest respect for sports that require the widest range of skills, and I just don't see that in bike racing.

 

[rhubroma]

FWIW, after the NY Marathon, LA said he had never felt so totally exhausted at any time during his bike racing career. The fact that any fit person can cycle 100 miles a day or more tells you something. Sure, there is cycling and racing, but the fact that riders can race 100 miles a day tells you something. You can't run a marathon every day, not at speeds remotely approaching what you can run on a one day only basis. This is simply because running taxes all the major muscles of the body, not just some of them. The recovery needed from one marathon is far greater than the recovery from one 100+ mile bike race. It would probably be a little different if bike racing didn't involve drafting. It would be harder to do 100 mile TTs every day. But I'm sure racers could do it at speeds not way, way off from what they do it on a one shot basis. Look at the fact that at the end of the TDF, contenders rider ITTs at very high speeds.

In the end, of course, if one sport makes fewer demands on some skills than another, then the cream of the crop spend all their time focussing on just one or a very few skills, to a degree that would be impossible in a sport demanding many skills. So one can always make the argument that any one sport is just as demanding as another. Since bike racing doesn't require a lot of training for agility or hand-eye coordination, racers put proportionally more of their time into endurance training. It's not like they're having it easy, in their own way they're making just as much efforts as athletes in any other sport. But I have the greatest respect for sports that require the widest range of skills, and I just don't see that in bike racing.

But Lance was not as fit as a world class marathoner, the way he was as a cyclist winning the Tour. Of course he felt worse in that situation.

One of the prohibiting factors of running more than one marathon in a short period, is also a reason why cycling can be so punishing. Because the bike carries the body's weight, one can push themselves into the red repeatedly without falling down. If a runner were to enter that zone before the finish, he'd risk colapsing.

I realize we are ultimately comparing apples with oranges, and thus each have their own sort of suffering. But I have never pushed myself running to the degree I have on the bike for this reason.

 

[gruppetto]

Rowing

I have never endured more pain than I have in a rowing race.

 

[Tim_sleepless]

One of the sports I've been thinking of in this category is the Ironman Triathlon series. It's a situation where you are involved in 3 different sports pushing your body to the limit. For some, the competition gets pushed by others, but for most, they are pushing themselves to their limits. The training endures day after day as well, and most days they are training 2 if not all 3 sports.

Nah....********... IM = train a lot and execute (ie steady swim, steady bike, everyday easy run pace marathon).... it's that simple, push much harder and your body will shut down for you.

Stand alone marathons hurt far more.

To whit... The comrades marathon is pretty hardcore.... 90km of up and downhill.... most people can't walk the next day, and the finish line is utter carnage.

 

[Machu Picchu]

I can certainly attest to rowing for the uninitiated being a real punishment but perhaps not so much for the amateur/professionals.

Also MMA whilst perhaps as skilful as boxing, the participants do not have to endure as much punishment and fatigue as a high level boxer.

 

[Leopejo]

I can certainly attest to rowing for the uninitiated being a real punishment but perhaps not so much for the amateur/professionals.

If the question includes training, my vote would go to rowing, based on the amount and intensity of training those poor guys at the nearby rowing club endure.

 

[The Hitch]

FWIW, after the NY Marathon, LA said he had never felt so totally exhausted at any time during his bike racing career. The fact that any fit person can cycle 100 miles a day or more tells you something. Sure, there is cycling and racing, but the fact that riders can race 100 miles a day tells you something. You can't run a marathon every day, not at speeds remotely approaching what you can run on a one day only basis. This is simply because running taxes all the major muscles of the body, not just some of them. The recovery needed from one marathon is far greater than the recovery from one 100+ mile bike race. It would probably be a little different if bike racing didn't involve drafting. It would be harder to do 100 mile TTs every day. But I'm sure racers could do it at speeds not way, way off from what they do it on a one shot basis. Look at the fact that at the end of the TDF, contenders rider ITTs at very high speeds.

In the end, of course, if one sport makes fewer demands on some skills than another, then the cream of the crop spend all their time focussing on just one or a very few skills, to a degree that would be impossible in a sport demanding many skills. So one can always make the argument that any one sport is just as demanding as another. Since bike racing doesn't require a lot of training for agility or hand-eye coordination, racers put proportionally more of their time into endurance training. It's not like they're having it easy, in their own way they're making just as much efforts as athletes in any other sport. But I have the greatest respect for sports that require the widest range of skills, and I just don't see that in bike racing.

For me the contrary is the case. If athletes have to train a wide range of skills it is easier. It makes training more enjoyable. A few hours on this, a few hours on that. But to do a sport like cycling, where the only variable is putting oneself through pain, that is as hard as it can possibly get. The number of people who are willing and able to spend hours on the pain barrier every day just cycling cycling cycling is surely lower than the number of people who can train speed for an hour, then hand eye, then strenght, then a bit of endurance. A lot better for the body and a lot better for the mind. Its unnatural to focus entirely on one thing all the time. Thats why in school children never have 8 hours straight of maths followed by 8 hours straight of science, but usually 2 hours of maths, and then a break, focus on something else now.

No one wants to be doing the same thing all day every day. And the number who can is even smaller. Especially when the obsessionb is with pain.

 

[sublimit]

Rowing

I have never endured more pain than I have in a rowing race.

Rowers always look completely blown after they've finished an event, I've never done it but it does look hard.

 

[Archibald]

I've played dozens of sports in my time - did loads while at school and afterwards. If I was to base it on the "the most tired I've been after doing it", then I'd rate one sport above all the others - water polo.

that was far more knackering than 12 and 24hr xc mountain biking, dirt crits, doing paris-roubaix, sportives, london marathon, western/thai boxing, rowing, rugby (okay only played 2 games of union as a fill-in), aussie rules, football, basketball, cross-country running...

 

[Black-Balled]

You have obiously never
...I subscribe to ...LA ...: "sometimes you the hammer, sometimes you the nail." ...

Please do not credit Lance for that one. sheesh.

 

[Tim_sleepless]

I've played dozens of sports in my time - did loads while at school and afterwards. If I was to base it on the "the most tired I've been after doing it", then I'd rate one sport above all the others - water polo.

that was far more knackering than 12 and 24hr xc mountain biking, dirt crits, doing paris-roubaix, sportives, london marathon, western/thai boxing, rowing, rugby (okay only played 2 games of union as a fill-in), aussie rules, football, basketball, cross-country running...

Violent too.

 

[pugdog]

Hardest sport? Single handed round the world yacht race.

 

[indurain666]

- water polo.

Forgot about water polo, I did it a few times when I was a swimmer, very hard sport.

 

[Tim_sleepless]

Please do not credit Lance for that one. sheesh.

Stolen from the master..

"Some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue"

 

[Merckx index]

For me the contrary is the case. If athletes have to train a wide range of skills it is easier. It makes training more enjoyable. A few hours on this, a few hours on that. But to do a sport like cycling, where the only variable is putting oneself through pain, that is as hard as it can possibly get. The number of people who are willing and able to spend hours on the pain barrier every day just cycling cycling cycling is surely lower than the number of people who can train speed for an hour, then hand eye, then strenght, then a bit of endurance. A lot better for the body and a lot better for the mind. Its unnatural to focus entirely on one thing all the time. Thats why in school children never have 8 hours straight of maths followed by 8 hours straight of science, but usually 2 hours of maths, and then a break, focus on something else now.

No one wants to be doing the same thing all day every day. And the number who can is even smaller. Especially when the obsessionb is with pain.

I understand what you're saying, but for some people, focussing on one thing is easier. I'm like that, which is probably one reason I see bike racing as a little less challenging, and why I respect skill sports so much. I find it much easier to focus entirely on one thing. You come to know that pain very well, you learn all sorts of tricks to deal with it. I used to swim competitively, and it was the same way, though of course there is some skill in that. In contrast, I was never very good at soccer. I was certainly as fit as anyone on the team, but all those hours refining skills in kicking, passing, etc. I hated. YMMV.

On the other hand, if you want to rate sports according to how difficult you personally find them, I would have to put B.A.S.E. jumping at the top of my list.

 

[mikeNphilly]

If there was a topic on sillyest things called sports this would be the number one of them all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_sports


I think one of the hardest sports, requiring many skills to be great at is Ice Hockey..skating, hand-eye co-ordination, strength training, and the hard hits the players take.

 

[Machu Picchu]

If there was a topic on sillyest things called sports this would be the number one of them all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_sports


I think one of the hardest sports, requiring many skills to be great at is Ice Hockey..skating, hand-eye co-ordination, strength training, and the hard hits the players take.

lol, e-sports! another one I don't get is fishing, I'll probably get flamed but I just don't see it as a sport ?_?


I agree about Ice Hockey, it's like American Football and takes a great toll on the body which is what makes it different from things like water polo which whilst tiring is still rather low risk apart from perhaps a shoulder injury or a poke in the eye #_^

 

[sublimit]

Pro bullriding must be the dumbest sport.

A redneck gets strapped to a bull and tries to sit on it and then tries to stay on for more than 10 seconds, before inevitably getting thrown of by the said crazed bull. The longer you stay on the more points you get.

Its quite entertaining particularly when the idiot on the bull occasionally get trampled.

 

[Merckx index]

If there was a topic on sillyest things called sports this would be the number one of them all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_sports

No, the worst was when some idiot sportswriter ranked the Long Island Hot Dog eating championship as one of the ten best sports performances of the year.