Five Sports More Dangerous than you Might Expect

Five Sports More Dangerous than you Might Expect

There is great danger attached to many sports that people participate in. Some are more extreme than others of course, but there are also sports that you wouldn’t expect to be dangerous, that in fact are. We take a look at the top five sports which are far more dangerous than you think. 

#5 Lawn Bowls

When you think of lawn bowls you think of peaceful games in a local park but go up a level and add real competitiveness to the sport and you would be wrong. The average age of a competitor is much higher in this sport than most others, and that also accounts for injuries and even deaths. 

Anything from bruises to heart attacks and strokes can happen on a lawn bowls playing field, with competitors striving to be the best even towards the end of their lives. This game may look harmless, but it is not for the faint-hearted. If you are thinking of turning to lawn bowls later in life, make sure you are physically fit and injury-free, or this becomes a dangerous environment to play in. 

#4 Le Mans 24 Hour Race

When you think of motorsports involving cars, you think of high speed, high tech cars that are designed with safety in mind. This is the case for most sports, but there is one additional factor added into this unique race and that is tiredness that faces those taking part, something that is almost impossible to train for. 

Drivers rotate around for 24 hours in this endurance test of both car and driver, and it is this unique test that has claimed the lives of over 130 people so far since starting back in 1923. Driving is tough under any circumstances, but when you combine race driving with fatigue and tiredness, this is not an easy race and certainly one of the most dangerous we have taken place right now.

#3 Cycling

Road cycling is a sport that continues to grow in popularity all over the world. Races take place over a large number of days, with few chances to rest and are a real test of endurance for the riders taking part. However, with the popularity of this sport at an all-time high, dangers come with it. 

We now have more spectators lining the roads, we have more support vehicles, more riders and generally a lot more for those taking part to think about. All of this can come at a rider towards the end of a big ride, which is at the end of a month-long cycling event that sees the rider completely fatigued. With so many dangers around them and the tiredness they are feeling, cycling offers a very dangerous environment to be in for riders. 

#2 Soccer

We all know about the dangers of soccer, so you’re probably wondering why this sport is on this particular list. However, a new study has shown a hidden danger, recently discovered in soccer players. This is a greater risk of dementia, due to heading the ball so much during their careers. 

We are not just talking during a game here either, most headers happen away from the field of play. Strikers and defenders will spend hours on the training field practicing heading the ball, defenders heading it away from danger and strikers trying to head it into the goal. This repetition has been found to be no good for the brain, and supposedly increases the chances of dementia in older age, another worry for those who play the game to think about. 

#1 Horse Racing

The sport of kings and one that many people love to place a wager on. Those who participate in horse racing betting online see the fun side of things, where they pick a selection and hopefully win some money. But what about the jockeys? These men and women put their life on the line each and every day to ride the horses we bet on. 

Injuries can occur at any point, and those falling off horses are not just restricted to jump racing, falls can happen on the flat too. When jockeys fall off a horse, they have the impact of hitting the floor, plus their own horse and all of those behind them potentially kicking and stamping over them while they lay on the floor. The jockeys in the weighing room of racecourses around the world are iron men, and some of the unsung heroes when it comes to extreme sports!

Conclusion – A Tribute to our Hidden Warriors

We often overlook sports such as those above when it comes to how extreme things are, but in the future, we must not! These warriors put their lives on the line for our enjoyment, and we should all be grateful for that. From those cycling in events such as the Tour de France to hidden brain issues in soccer and of course the iron men and women that are riding horses every day for our enjoyment, there are more hidden warriors in sport, and these are just some of them.

Sean Lockwood

Sean is a programmer with a passion for extreme sports. Favourite extreme sports discipline is biathlon. Started this blog because of the great love for nature and adrenaline which results in something extreme like Extreme Sports Lab (ESL).

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