Why Motocross is a Physically Demanding Sport

"All you're doing is sitting on a machine and going around in circles."

Have you ever heard this phrase or something like it when people try to discredit motocross as a physically demanding sport? The fact of the matter is, motocross is by far one of the most intense and gruelling sports there are in the world today and it requires a great deal of physical and mental strength.

For those wanting to get into motocross, here are some helpful facts on just what goes into a ride as far as physical demands are concerned.

Physical Strength

According to a study done by ESPN, a rider doing two to three motos in one day can go for up to 45 minutes. Going for that long on a bike that weighs more than the rider themselves is quite a taxing event on a person. The rider must also handle the bike going through sharp turns every few seconds, flying through large bumps in the track, as well as going off of larger jumps throughout the course.

Throughout the course of a race, a rider will be elevated off of his seat for the large majority of the time. This means that there is a high priority on having strong leg muscles that possess an incredible amount of endurance. This could be likened to doing a wall sit for a long period of time while moving the bike that weighs hundreds of pounds all around the track.

In order to move the bike around with such ease, it is crucial that a rider have a very strong and stable upper body. From the core, to the chest, to the arms, it is essential that all of these parts of the body can stay in good and consistent shape.

While many still may not believe that the sport of motocross demands a lot from a rider, the stats about what it does on the heart and the rest of the body prove otherwise. In a test of Supercross riders (a type of motocross racing that takes place indoors), it was found that the average heart rate of riders throughout a race were reaching 94 percent of their maximum heart rate.

When it came to those riding in motocross, for a group of nine riders competing in a two races that lasted for 30 minutes were reaching on average, 95 percent of their maximum heart rate. With this much strain and pressure being put on your heart, this is clearly one of the most physically demanding sports out there.

If you are wanting to get into motocross, getting into physical shape is one of the first things you should focus on to reach a level of success.