There will always be a debate amongst people to consider which of the sports are harder. Different people consider different characteristics and may have different views about teamwork, muscular endurance, strength and cardiovascular activity.
Considering multiple factors in physical demand of various sports, we have lined up sports in that manner. Let’s take a look.
Martial Arts/Wrestling/UFC:
No one can disagree with the fact that this is the hardest sports. The competitors have variety of skills and techniques. It requires great skill and grappling methods. It demands full body strength, speed, durability and conditioning.
During 5 minute intervals player have have to maintain their mental and physical levels intact to avoid knocking out. There is one on one fight. Now team mates to conceal or make up your weakness.
Rugby:
Rugby involves a combination of Speed, agility, strength and control constantly during the game. The sheer size of player make this game more demanding physically. Rugby League has average of 600-700 tackles a game, with 2 40-minute halves and no timeouts, padding or a separation between Offense and Defense. 13 players, 4 substitutes, with only 10 player changes allowed per game, these players are required to attack and defend, often having to jog backwards at least 150 times a game, and running forward double that, all the while dealing with the sheer violence of the impacts in the tackles .
Water Polo:
Since it is played in water, it requires great toughness and strength. Water polo is like basket ball, in the water, with soccer nets. No, you can’t touch the bottom, or the sides. Yes, players will kick you, and punch you and do anything to win.
Ice-Hockey:
Very unrecognized sport because its expensive setup but those who play this sport require lot of muscular endurance, durability, strength, power, speed. In 45 seconds interval shift, players fight for the ball, starting and stopping and quickly changing directions. Players can feel painful burning in their legs and whole game is played on a thin blade less than an inch.
Lacrosse:
Native American games played with a stick called crosse. Although it is not popular internationally. It is played similarly as soccer. It is a very physical sport since it requires players to defend themselves for painful whacks of opponents and fight for loose balls on the ground.
Soccer:
One of the most popular sports comes to the list. It requires lots of speed and agility from players. It keeps player in constant motion for 90 minutes across a 120×80 yards ground. It demands lots of efforts in sprinting and snatching the ball from opponents and getting into position instantaneously.
Basketball:
Basketball would surely make the list. It also requires short bursts of energies with high intensity. It also requires a display of agility, speed, skill and importantly vertical jumping power. Players have to be in constant translational motion around the court and fight for the position.
Rowing:
This sport challenges upper back and core strength since a rowing stroke requires an exclusive combination of power, technique and mental toughness. Rowers need strong cardiovascular strength to keep up the pace of race and when their fatigue level raises it tests their mental toughness as well.
Tennis:
In tennis match there are short bursts of energy during sets. Energy comes in the form of quick sprints, hitting the ball with power and control. This sport demands agility. In fact tennis is played frequently under scorching sun, making it harder for athletes.
Swimming:
Swimming is an exhausting sport since it is done continuously and there is no time for recovery. It requires the coordination of upper and lower body and demands them to work simultaneously to produce forward motion. It needs a strong core to make way through the water. Since it is not ground based and it doesn’t put stress on the skeletal frame and instead of facing the pull of gravity, swimmers enjoy an upward thrust of water, that why it is ranked lower.
