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5 minute read<\/span>new delhi<\/em><\/span>Updated: May 22, 2026 11:56 AM (IST)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Talk about fitness in India often revolves around cricket, largely due to the sport’s immense popularity and the high profile of the athletes associated with it. However, recent comments from cricketer Virat Kohli have shifted attention to another demanding sport, hockey, and the physical standards it demands. Kohli is widely regarded as one of the fittest cricketers of his generation. elite cricket fitness<\/strong> There is no direct comparison to the physical demands placed on hockey players.<\/p>\n speak at RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit<\/em>Kohli stressed that fitness is not something special and should just be part of the job. “I know people sometimes look at fitness as something extraordinary, but for me it’s what the job requires. It shouldn’t be celebrated as something special, it should be the norm,” Kohli said.<\/p>\n Disclaimer: <\/span>This article is based on information from the public domain and\/or from experts we spoke to. Be sure to consult your doctor before starting your daily life.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n He also noted how cricket often monopolizes public attention, which can overshadow demand for other sports. “Cricket gets so much attention in our country that other sports are often overlooked. To be honest, we don’t even have 15 per cent of the fitness of Indian hockey players. If hockey players saw our training sessions, they would laugh because their sport demands much more,” Kohli added.<\/p>\n His comments drew praise from the hockey world. According to hockey india<\/em>Vice-captain Hardik Singh added, “The man who redefined fitness is acknowledging our standards. This sends a message that the fitness of hockey players should not be underestimated.” India captain Harmanpreet Singh also highlighted the intense pace of hockey, saying, “Hockey is one of the fastest sports, so it’s great to be able to maintain your fitness level in front of the world.”<\/p>\n Vajjala, MPT (cardiovascular) and founder of Tone 30 Pilates Dr. Shravani told indianexpress.com, “Cricket is fundamentally an intermittent, skill-based sport, characterized by short, explosive bursts of maximum effort, punctuated by long periods of low intensity or rest. A batsman or fielder may perform sprints of up to 20 meters that require immediate ATP-PC (adenosine triphosphate-phosphocreatine). Although the energy system output is high, fast bowlers typically experience highly eccentric structural stresses that require very specific core, spinal, and relative force strengths, with the front foot loaded with several times their body weight upon landing. sustained cardiovascular engine <\/strong>You are rarely pushed to your limits during a standard match. \u201d<\/p>\n “On the contrary, field hockey is a hybrid anaerobic and aerobic sport. It is played over four quarters for a total of 60 minutes on a vast pitch, forcing players to perform high-intensity, intermittent training with short recovery periods. Players accumulate long distances and frequently sprint while bending over. Running places a continuous isometric load on the hips, glutes, and quadriceps.”The aerobic system must be highly developed to rapidly remove metabolic byproducts such as lactic acid during short rolling displacements, whereas the anaerobic glycolytic system is repeatedly stressed by fast breaks and defensive transitions.<\/p>\n Story continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Hockey and cricket require very different nutritional strategies,” said Sadhna Singh, a food science and nutrition expert in Gangtok, Sikkim. “Hockey’s high-intensity play depletes glycogen quickly, requiring large carbohydrate intake, rapid hydration, and rapid post-match recovery. Cricket relies on steady energy release, targeted proteins for muscle repair, prolonged hydration under heat, and anti-inflammatory foods to aid long recovery.” Please play. \u201d<\/p>\n Disclaimer: <\/span>This article is based on information from the public domain and\/or from experts we spoke to. Be sure to consult your doctor before starting your daily life.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\nSo from a sports science perspective, what kind of fitness is being tested in cricket and hockey?<\/h2>\n
How do nutritional needs differ in terms of calories?<\/h2>\n