Every sport involves risk, but some disciplines break records for the number and frequency of injuries. In this article, you’ll read about the most injury-prone sports.
1. Martial arts
There is no doubt that athletes in martial arts are injured more often than other athletes. In boxing, 65% of athletes have injuries to their upper extremities like fingers, joints, and hands.
Sprains and tears of ligaments in boxers are inevitable. 18% of injuries are to the face, for example, fractures of the nose, jaw, and knocked out teeth.
In wrestling, 70% of injuries are to the musculoskeletal system. Athletes often suffer from knees (menisci and lateral ligaments). Fractures and dislocations are also inevitable.
2. Rugby
In rugby, shocks and power techniques are allowed in unlimited quantities, also, there is practically no protective equipment. Therefore, it is not surprising that rugby players so often suffer muscle injuries, ligament tears, sprains and multiple fractures.
According to statistics, an athlete receives at least three minor injuries on average in one match. Yet, most rugby players have deliberately chosen one of the most traumatic sports and have never regretted it.
3. Handball
Athletes who play handball professionally have good physical fitness, but injuries are inevitable in this sport.
According to statistics, goalkeepers and strikers most often suffer from injuries. More than 80% of handball players are injured due to poor-quality coverage of the site where the game takes place.
Typical injuries include injuries to the shoulder and elbow joints, knee injuries.
4. Soccer
English scientists conducted research and found that in 63% of soccer players injuries during matches are inevitable.
There is also data that a professional soccer player each year receives up to 200 injuries of varying complexity. And goalkeepers even have a professional injury – hitting their head against the goal post.
Fatalities on the field also occasionally occur. The most common cause of death is heart failure, which develops due to high stress.
Players get injured not only on the field but also during intensive training before important matches. Therefore, those who are interested in betting on soccer have to pay attention before each game to which players are injured in the rival teams. You can bet on matches of clubs from different leagues in one of the verified betting shops, which are included in the Meta.reviews rating.
5. Motorcycle sport
Motorcycle sport immediately comes to mind when asked to name the most dangerous sports. Interestingly, fractures and bruises are not the worst things. Huge loads on the track are much more dangerous for the rider’s health – constant physical and psychological stress wears out the body. As a result, the rider has damage to internal organs, bones and muscles.
According to statistics, in just one race on the track, an athlete can lose up to 5 kg of body weight. And all this is due to the influence of stress, as well as the weight of the equipment.
6. Cheerleading
Statistics show that cheerleaders are admitted to US hospitals each year with 25,000 serious head, collarbone, arm, leg, and neck injuries. Also, over 40,000 minor injuries, such as sprains, abrasions, contusions and others, are reported each year.
7. Acrobatics
Injuries in acrobatics are inevitable. This will be confirmed by everyone who was involved in this sport. Fractures of arms, legs, collarbone, lower leg and knee injuries are normal in acrobatics, so athletes know what they are doing.
It is because of the constant injury and trauma in professional acrobatics that athletes end their careers very early.
8. Mountaineering
Mountaineering is not only one of the most traumatic sports, but also the most deadly.
The difficulty of this sport lies in the correct distribution of forces. It is not enough just to climb to the top, it is also necessary to descend from it. Yet, many climbers (most often beginners) underestimate the importance of proper descent, which ultimately leads to many accidents.
When falling from a height, climbers can receive not only numerous fractures and remain disabled for life. They risk being killed.
9. Rafting
But this never stopped the extreme. They like to tickle their nerves and play with death.
Not only the uncontrollable elements in the form of water but also bare rocks, steep slopes and incredibly high-speed currents are waiting for the rafters.
But this has never stopped the extreme rafters. They like to tickle their nerves and play with death.
10. Surfing
According to the Australian Monash University, there are 4-5 deaths per 100,000 surfers every year. And if we consider that surfing is popular not only in Australia but also in Portugal, Spain, America, Mexico and other countries of the world, then the total number of deaths will increase significantly.
11. Hockey
Tooth loss is considered not only the most common but also the easiest injury in this sport. Tens of thousands of serious injuries and fractures are recorded every year. Unfortunately, deaths also occur.
Falls, blows by opponents, slew footing, massive fights, puck kick – this is still an incomplete list of what awaits a hockey player during a match.
12. Skiing
In this sport, the right equipment and the track on which the athlete is skiing play an important role. Skiers run the risk of spinal injuries.
Skiing is on the list of the most dangerous sports for children, as 80% of them are injured due to improper fall techniques. So, when getting on your skis, be as careful as possible.
13. Cycling
Cycling can also cause injury. Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common injury among cyclists. Statistics show that fractures of tubular bones await almost every third cyclist.
14. Horse riding
This sport hides 40,000 injuries every year under its harmless name. In this case, there are deaths.
It makes sense because falling from a horse that is rushing at breakneck speed can cause a lot of fractures. And that’s only in the best case. The behaviour of the horse itself can also be traumatic. There have been cases where riders have been hit by a hoof.
15. Golf
Yes, golf is also on our list. This sport seems safe from the outside, but it adds work to doctors.
According to statistics, about 900 people die on the golf course every year. A surprising fact is that athletes sometimes die from lightning strikes. This is because golfers often play in bad weather and have a metal club as their sporting equipment.
A ball hitting the head is also a common cause of death on the golf course. A small ball flying a distance of 100 meters at great speed is deadly for an athlete. Also in golf, there are groin injuries, gouged eyes, broken joints and other injuries.
Bonus. The safest sports
Chess players are the least likely to be injured. When it comes to the safest active sports, the following disciplines should be mentioned: volleyball, table tennis, sailing, badminton, synchronized swimming, diving, rowing, and archery. Athletes who participate in these sports are less likely to be injured than others.