The Olympic Sports That Burn The Most Calories

Let’s admit it, most of us get a bit tired just watching the Olympics from the comfort of our own sofa. All that training, all those early mornings, the pressure of that final race, it all just looks a bit exhausting.

But have you ever wondered which of the sports is the most gruelling?

Dr Wayne Osborne of Treated.com has taken a look at 28 Olympic sports and worked out which ones burn the most calories. Yes, we know, calorie burn isn’t the only measure of how tough a work-out is, but it’s a pretty solid way of showing how much exertion is required.

He’s also worked shown which parts of the body are worked by each sport, plus what food a session would burn off. Handy.

Coming in last is shooting, which burns a measly 88 calories in a half-hour session for a person of average weight. That’s five times less than the most energy-burning sport of running, where athletes burn through 465 calories in 30 minutes.

These are the top ten sports that burn the most calories: