5 Olympic Sports That Burn The Most Calories- Ranked By Experts

Whether it is sprinting down a track, swimming through waves, or pedaling at breakneck speeds, different activities require different expenditures of energy. Some sports call for short, explosive bursts of power, while others test endurance over hours. The number of calories burned depends on the sport, intensity, and the athlete's unique physiology. Most Calorie-Intensive Olympic Sports : Provides a peek into the physical demands faced by athletes as well as inspiration for anyone looking to gain insight into energy use in peak performance.

The Olympics witness over 200 countries competing in more than 300 events, one can't help but wonder: which Olympic sport demands the most from the body in terms of calories burned? While every event requires exceptional physical and mental fortitude, some sports stand out as calorie-torching powerhouses. Let's break it down.

Understanding calorie burn begins with the metric of kcal/kg/hour — calories burned per kilogram of body weight per hour. To put this into perspective, an average adult weighing 185 pounds (84 kg) burns 1 kcal/kg/hour while at rest. Activities that exceed 6 kcal/kg/hour are classified as "vigorous" by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. However, the caloric expenditure of Olympic sports depends on two key factors:

1. The energy surge or intensity needed in a particular moment.

2. The absolute amount of energy used throughout the period of an event.

Does Running Burn Calories?

Running, especially sprinting and marathons, takes the cake in burning calories. Sprinting is all about short bursts of high intensity, and therefore requires explosive energy. For example, a study by a physiology expert, Pietro di Prampero, reveals that in the first 0.85 seconds of the world record by Usain Bolt in the 100-meter sprint, he burnt 91.2 kcal/kg/hour.

But over all, marathons win sprints because marathons consume more energy in totality. The energy consumption per kilometer by long-distance running is approximately 1 kcal/kg. Thus, for a marathon, which runs 42 kilometers, the energy consumption will be about 42 kcal/kg.

Let's consider Eliud Kipchoge, who won the Tokyo 2020 marathon gold. At 115 pounds (52 kg), he must have burned about 2,339 calories for his 2-hour, 8-minute run, translating to 21 kcal/kg/hour.

Also Read: How Many Calories Does Walking 12,000 Steps Burn? Tips For Reaching Your Goal

Is Swimming An Silent Calorie Crusher?

Swimming is compared to running in terms of expenditure as caloric demands can vary with stroke, environment, and skill of the athlete. One study, for example was published in 2006 in the International Journal of Sports Medicine and calculated that at a swim speed of 1.6 m/s breaststroke burns 30.4 kcal/kg/hour.

Environmental factors, such as waves and cooler water temperatures, also make open-water swimming a demanding endeavor; still, strategies, such as drafting-in swimming, allows one to swim with less water resistance behind another swimmer. One reported that Michael Phelps burned more than 5,000 calories each day in the height of training, and explains his fabled 10,000-calorie diet.

• Cycling: At speed greater than 20 mph or 32 km/h, cycling is calorically costly, using 16.8 kcal/kg/hour. Competitive cycling has sustained intensity that makes it one of the most calorically expensive sports.
• Rowing: The racing speeds in rowing clock in at 15.5 kcal/kg/hour, which shows that rowing requires full-body muscular demand and cardiovascular endurance.
• Martial arts burn 10.5 kcal/kg/hour, while competitive trampolining lags slightly at 10.3 kcal/kg/hour, due to the explosive jumps and flips involved.

How Short Bursts of Energy Help Burn More Calories?

Sports that require short, intense bursts of energy — sprinting, soccer, or pole vaulting, for example — stimulate an increased post-exercise calorie burn. Known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), this phenomenon means athletes burn calories at a higher rate even after the activity ends.

A study indicates that doing five 30 seconds of high intensity exercise burns the extra 200 calories a day. This fits the reason for sprinters appearing with more muscles yet lower percentages of fats compared to those who run marathon.

Sprint vs. Distance: Endurance vs. Explosiveness

Marathons and triathlons are among the longest periods of calorie burn because of extended exertion. US runner Galen Rupp, who completed a marathon in 2:06, would burn approximately 20.6 calories per minute for a total of 2,596 calories. Olympic marathon swimmers swim equivalent distances and durations, so it is likely they burn similar amounts of calories since water resistance and cooler temperatures should equate the two.

In contrast, sports like sprints and pole vault focus on explosiveness, making them metabolically intense in short bursts but less demanding in total energy.

For Olympic athletes, caloric expenditure is important both for performance and recovery. Not consuming enough calories risks losing muscles, hormonal imbalances, and weaker bones. Excessive calorie intake, on the other hand, leads to laziness. High-precision nutrition is therefore the key to attaining the most optimal energy levels and peak performance.

So, Which Olympic Sport Consumes the Highest Number of Calories?

Whereas running has taken the day regarding momentary and total calorie burn, swimming could possibly take the first spot because it engages all of the body, which demands tougher training programs. Events like marathons and triathlons require consistency in endurance while sprinting, rowing, and martial arts offer shorter intervals for high intensity calorie burn.

In the end, each Olympic sport is a demonstration of what the human body can do, taken to an extreme that is both amazing and calorie-burning.

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2018

2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2024

Evaluation of the Energy Expenditure in Competitive Swimming Strokes. Int J Sports Med. 2006

The energy cost of sprint running and the role of metabolic power in setting top performances. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015