What's the most dangerous sport in the world?

Sports offer a variety of benefits, from lowering stress and boosting self-esteem to improving heart and bone health. But they can also pose risks. 

In extreme cases, elite athletes complete seemingly death-defying stunts at major sporting events, such as the Olympics. But which sports are the most dangerous to participants? And which pose the highest risk of death? 

Which sports cause the most injuries?

These are tricky questions to answer because sports aren't always studied in the same way, making them difficult to compare. Let's start by looking at nonfatal-injury statistics. 

In the U.S., the Sports and recreational activities most frequently associated with injuries are "exercise," cycling and basketball, according to the National Safety Council. These statistics come from injuries that resulted in emergency department visits in 2023. Here, exercise isn't defined, but there's no separate category for running and the category covers injuries related to exercise equipment, so it appears to be broad. 

Related: Extreme workouts: The nutritional needs of elite athletes

American Football comes in fourth on the National Safety Council's list, behind basketball. That said, Football produces the most injuries of any sport per 1,000 hours of participation, according to Ohio State University (OSU). Alongside basketball, it's also a strong contender for the most injury-riddled sport.   

Football players' risk of concussions and subsequent brain damage has also been highlighted in recent years. Similar attention has fallen on other high-impact, collision Sports, such as rugby, in which players routinely collide at all levels of the Game.