Basketball has gained popularity among both professional athletes and recreational players. It is an exciting and stimulating sport that is appreciated by individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
To get going, not much equipment is needed. A ball and a hoop are all you need. Additionally, while the game itself is simple for beginners to pick up, it is difficult enough to keep even experienced players on their toes.
Cycling is basically a one-man sport, whereas basketball is a fun way to stay active and connect with friends and family.
On a professional level, both sports obviously have their difficulties, but basketball is more popular worldwide.
In this article, we’ll discuss the differences and benefits between basketball and cycling and help you decide which one is better for you. Shall we?
Cycling and Basketball (Comparison and Contrast)
Everyone will participate in sports activities. But different sports are preferred by different people.
Physical and mental toughness are necessary for participating in competitive training for a sport; the type of training required varies depending on the sport.
Basketball and cycling are two different sports that are played in various locations. They employ various techniques and tools to maximize the players’ performance.
Athletes must be able to resist significant stress on their muscles in order to compete in both sports.
While cycling requires a lot of repeating sets on a target time, basketball requires one to do more technical drills to improve one’s game.
Cycling focuses more on improving strength and cycling techniques, as good cycling technique helps cyclists move forward without using too much energy.
Cycling and basketball have another difference in terms of training programs.
Cyclists need to build up a lot of endurance while applying the proper technique. The one who can explode and go all out from the start isn’t necessarily the winner of the race.
Basketball requires the athlete to be more skillful, especially when handling the ball.
The ways of playing each sport are also different.
Because the team receives points if one of its athletes finishes in the top 8, cycling focuses more on the individual performance of each man on the team.
This indicates that if you want to get that job, you must work extremely hard to improve.
The team must function as a unit and execute plays flawlessly when playing basketball. Maintaining open lines of communication with one’s colleagues is crucial; championship teams are those that can function as a unit.
In order to maximize the athletes’ performance, various sets of equipment are utilized in each sport.
Every year, millions of dollars are invested in sports equipment research and development to help players perform better during practice and competition.
Basketball and cycling may share certain similarities, but they will always be two distinct sports that take place in separate locations and demand different equipment as well as various training techniques to help athletes perform to their full potential.
What is a More Scientific Sport?
I would have to say cycling, as any sport that is timed, is much less subjective than a sport with a score.
It comes down to referees and umpires, any time they step in with a subjective decision, the event becomes less scientific.
Humans make way more mistakes than a stopwatch. Don’t get me wrong, I love basketball and cycling, and bad calls can ruin both, but it happens way more in basketball.
Basketball players don’t get subjected to wind tunnel testing, nor is a vast majority of their equipment supercomputer designed.
Basketball players don’t have to be concerned with the physics and technical nuances of high-velocity (90Kph+) descents or 70Kph flat-ground sprints.
Or maintain 50Kph+ for hours on end in a group. Really, basketball (American or European) is almost child’s play versus the physics of cycling.
Even individual cyclist diets are tuned to individual needs, being weighed to the gram.
Cycling takes a whole different physical and intellectual level, one few basketball players could ever have the physical and intellectual chops to do at a professional level without injury and probably fatalities.
Which One Burns More Calories?
How many calories you’ll burn depends on your intensity and body weight.
But with basketball, you also have to consider the size of the field you use (half-court or full-court).
For a 70kg (155 lbs) person, this is what calories burned during 60 minutes of activity would look like:
Light cycling 16-19 km/h burns 422 kcal
Moderate cycling 19-21 km/h burns 563 kcal
Half-court basketball burns 410 kcal
Full-court basketball burns 590 kcal
Shooting hoops/dribbling burns 280 kcal
Cycling usually burns a lot more calories per hour than basketball.
It’s worth considering that cycling for 30-60 minutes consecutively can be quite a demanding workout, while you can easily play basketball for multiple hours, which allows you to burn more calories in total.
Basketball or cycling: Which one is better for weight loss?
When it comes to weight loss, you always have to consider your entire lifestyle.
Eating habits are the most important, but sleep quality, lifestyle activity, and the form of exercise play a role too.
Cycling might burn more calories per hour, but playing basketball for longer is easier. So, both can help create a calorie deficit that is necessary to lose weight.
Basketball vs. Cycling – Which One to Choose?
It’ll be a bit difficult to choose one of the two most popular sports. And basketball and cycling are the two most popular sports of the winter.
Playing both of these games has its respective benefits and enthusiasm.
To play basketball, you’ll need to adopt lots of techniques and learn unique skills. Whereas cycling needs to give more and more time to master its physical capabilities.
But eventually, both sports need lots of strength to play and put stress on your muscles. However, cycling puts you in a much more difficult situation compared to basketball.
Try cycling for 5 minutes uphill. You’ll definitely understand the reasons. Keep reading on to understand the reasons specifically.
How Does Cycling Benefits Basketball Players?
Indeed, cycling is beneficial for playing basketball. It puts lots of stress on both your hand and feet muscles and makes them stronger.
Strong muscles are essential to play almost all types of competitive and physical sports. Basketball is one of those competitive sports that needs lots of physical strength.
With well-built strength, you can handle the basketball and apply the tricky technique within the given time. Indeed, a physically strong basketball player is a terror to their opponent.
If you already play basketball, you might feel that it’s redundant to combine the two activities.
After all, you’re already getting outside and exercising as you kick a ball around the pitch. Why do you need to also cycle at the same time? There are numerous reasons to answer that question, and here are five.
Builds muscle
Playing basketball helps to build up certain muscle groups in the body. Yet biking can take this a step further and further improve muscle development, including areas neglected by basketball training.
As you cycle around, you will improve your calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps, flexor muscles, abdominal muscles, gluteus muscles, and more. In general, strengthening your legs is obviously useful for playing basketball, while biking helps push your entire body toward peak physical fitness.
Improves stamina
A traditional basketball game lasts 40 minutes in Europe and on the college level and 48 minutes in NBA. Therefore, those playing need to be able to run, assist, dribble, and shoot for that entire duration.
This takes a lot of stamina. Fortunately, this can be gained from cycling.
Biking is known as a great way to improve stamina levels.
This is helped by the nature of biking and how it’s a low-impact activity. As you’re sitting down while cycling, it’s possible for your body to cope with extended sessions when on a bike.
Promotes mental health
Even if you’re not playing professionally, there’s stress and pressure involved whenever you step on the pitch to compete in a competitive basketball game.
As a result, it’s important to look at ways to improve your mental health.
One such way is through cycling. If you engage in regular cycling sessions, it can help to alleviate stress and reduce anxiety.
If you’re heading out on public roads, it also helps sharpen your focus as you stay safe from potential hazards.
Keeps the pounds off
Basketball players need to manage their weight. They need to stay trim to move around the pitch easily and optimize their performance and reduce the impact additional weight can have on their joints.
Cycling is an effective way to burn calories and keep the pounds off. When combined with regular basketball sessions, there shouldn’t be any issue with keeping your weight down.
Helps with recovery
Due to its low-impact nature, cycling is a great way to aid your recovery from a basketball-related injury.
Maintaining fitness levels can be difficult when you’re sat on the sidelines. However, cycling allows you to keep those fitness levels up without the risk of aggravating your injury or developing any new issues.
