Practicing physician and influencer Dr. Mike Varshavski recently created a comprehensive tier list ranking sports from safest to most dangerous based on his medical expertise and personal experience treating sports injuries. He did it in a recent video on his YouTube channel.
Surprisingly, cycling topped Dr. Mike’s list of most dangerous sports, earning an “extreme” rating not because of the activity itself, but due to the environment in which it’s practiced. “It is so dangerous because of the other drivers on the road,” he explained, citing statistics showing 900 to 1,000 cycling deaths and 400,000 emergency department visits annually in the US.
The doctor emphasized that while cycling in controlled environments like private countryside bike lanes would be much safer, urban cycling creates deadly scenarios.
Bull riding also earned an extreme rating, with Dr. Mike noting, “I’ve never met a more extreme sport. The bull is just mad at you and wants to like hit you with its horns.” He highlighted the potential for spinal cord injuries, facial trauma, and life-threatening lacerations.
Combat sports received predictably high danger ratings, with boxing, MMA, and wrestling all landing in the “very high” category. However, Dr. Mike made a controversial distinction regarding slap fighting, which he rated as extreme and called for its elimination.
“This has taken all of what is good about a combat sport, and removing it, and only watching the destructive impact,” he argued, expressing particular concern about repeated concussions without defensive opportunities.
Several sports received unexpectedly high ratings. Cheerleading landed in the “high” category, with Dr. Mike calling it “a sleeper dangerous sport” due to the frequency of concussion injuries he’s treated. Horse racing also earned a “very high” rating because of the unpredictability of working with animals.
Brain injury concerns significantly influenced the rankings. Football received a “very high” rating primarily due to concussion risks, with Dr. Mike stating, “Sports that have a high risk injury to the rest of the body is one thing, but having damage to the brain puts you in a slightly more sensitive category in my mind.”
On the safer end of the spectrum, golf earned a “minimal” rating with injury rates of less than one per 1,000 hours of participation. Chess, poker, and billiards rounded out the safest activities, though Dr. Mike acknowledged these aren’t traditionally considered sports by everyone.
His analysis serves as a reminder that sports safety depends not only on the activity itself but also on environmental factors, proper safety protocols, and individual preparation.
