While all the Olympic events are impressive, some burn more calories than others. A study calculated which sport is the most calorie-burning.
- Modern pentathlon is the most calorie-burning sport in the Olympic Games.
- It is followed by triathlon and cycling/mountain biking.
- Participating in Olympic sports helps you lose weight, but it is important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet to achieve results.
Has the arrival of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games made you want to (re)start exercising? Be careful if your underlying goal is to lose weight, not all Olympic disciplines burn the same amount of calories.
To find out the “most profitable”, Zava, a specialist in medical teleconsultation, compared 45 sports. For the calculations, the study relied on the average weight of French people, i.e. 79.2 kg for men and 65.2 kg for women.
Olympic Games: Multi-event sports dominate the podium
To burn the maximum number of calories, there is no big surprise: you have to multiply the tests and the efforts. Indeed, the gold medal of sports “calorie burners” returns to the modern pentathlon which combines swimming, fencing, horse riding, running and shooting. It allows men to burn an average of 1,886 calories in thirty minutes and 1,507 for women. “Athletes not only burn a significant number of calories, but they also improve their strength, endurance, coordination and flexibility.”recalls the study.
Second, we find the triathlon. On average, male participants burn about 1,392 calories in half an hour while female participants lose 1,112 calories. This discipline, which combines swimming, cycling and running, also has the advantage of improving cardiovascular endurance, strengthening muscles and developing coordination.
The third step of the podium is shared by all forms of cycling. Whether you pedal on the road, in the mountains or in a velodrome… cycling and mountain biking will burn approximately 729 calories in half an hour if you are a man and 582 if you are a woman.
Athletes who do canoe slalom or boxing also burn a lot of energy. They burn 542 and 533 calories respectively for men and 433 and 426 for women.
Paris 2024: shooting burns 87 calories in 30 minutes
If shooting is interesting when it is an element of the pentathlon, it is much less so when it is performed alone. Indeed, it is the sport that records the least caloric expenditure of all those tested for this study. The female shooters lose only 87 calories and the male shooters 108. Diving is second to last with 103 calories lost in 30 minutes for women and 130 calories for men. Artistic and rhythmic gymnastics are not very “profitable” either with 165 calories for the male gender and 132 calories for the female gymnasts.
“Regular exercise is essential to strengthen the cardiovascular system, reduce the risk of cancer, build muscle and maintain general fitness. Participating in these Olympic sports can help with weight loss, but it is important to maintain a healthy diet to achieve optimal results. However, it is important to note that some sports, particularly high-intensity sports such as those practiced in the Olympic Games, carry an increased risk of injury. It is therefore important to progress gradually and follow training programs that are appropriate for your fitness level. Prior medical advice can help identify potential health risks and establish a safe and effective training plan.”warns Doctor Albe-Ly, general practitioner at Zava.
