Who doesn’t dream of burning a maximum of calories in a minimum of time? This is the leitmotif that makes the 20 to 30 minute workouts offered by sports coaches in gyms and on apps so successful. We know in advance that the efforts will be intense, but when we see the results and the little time taken out of the day, we can only be won over.
Some sports burn more calories than others. That’s a fact. If you do a workout of boxingyou will lose much more than if you go for a bike ride for the same duration, which does not prevent these two efforts from being complementary for the health of the body. “Exercising regularly is essential to strengthen the cardiovascular system, reduce the risk of cancer, develop muscle and maintain good general physical fitness.” recalls Doctor Albe-Ly, general practitioner for the medical teleconsultation site ZAVA who published a study on sports allowing to burn the most calories on the eve of 2024 Olympic Games.
To do this, ZAVA searched for the names of the 45 categories represented in Paris in 2024 on the official website of the Olympic Games. Then, they based themselves on the average weight of French people (79.2 kg on average for men and 65.2 kg on average for women), gathered the metabolic equivalents (METs) of each sport and calculated the number of calories burned for men and women according to the disciplines. The first, which comes at the top of the ranking, allows women to burn 1,507 calories in 30 minutes and 1,886 for men. Do you have any idea?
This is the modern pentathlon. This sport is the heir to the ancient pentathlon, which included running, javelin, jumping, discus and wrestling events. Today – and for the upcoming Olympics – the pentathlon formula combines four events, from five sports: swimming (200m freestyle), fencing, horse riding (with a show jumping course on a horse that the athlete does not know and that he has drawn at random twenty minutes before the start of the event), running and shooting (the athletes combine running phases with shooting phases on five targets).
In the rest of the study’s ranking, we find:
- Triathlon: In 30 minutes, men burn about 1,392 calories compared to about 1,112 calories for women.
- Cycling (MTB, road and track): 729 calories burned in half an hour for men and 582 for women
- Canoe slalom: 542 calories burned in 30 minutes by men and 433 by women
- Boxing: 533 calories for men and 426 for women
- Canoeing Sprint, Cycling BMX Racing, Handball and Rowing all burn around 520 calories in half an hour for men and 416 for women
For those who would like to take up sport, motivated by the fervour of the Olympic Games, caution is still required, doctors remind. “Certain sports, particularly high-intensity sports such as those practiced in the Olympic Games, carry an increased risk of injury. It is important to progress gradually and follow training programs appropriate to your fitness level. Prior medical advice can help identify potential health risks and establish a safe and effective training plan.” concludes Dr. Albe-Ly.