Sports stars are among the fittest people in the world, training every single day to be at the top of their game and ensure peak physical condition all year round. Such dedication can often inspire us to emulate them, but how many sports fans in the UK try to match a similar dedication to their health and fitness?

Our latest report explores the daily exercise levels, sport participation, sport viewing habits, healthy eating and alcohol consumption of sports fans in the UK. Focusing on the top seven most popular sports, we wanted to investigate which are the healthiest fan bases in the country, with the results below.

Cycling and Tennis Fans Claimed Top Spot as the Healthiest

In our survey of 2,000 sports fans, we looked at seven categories, with those who said they were cycling and tennis fans achieving the highest health score and claiming joint top spot in our ranking below:

Cycling fans were one of the most likely to hop on their bikes and participate in cycling themselves, with 75% saying they cycle either sometimes or often. They were also one of the least likely fanbases to go to the pub to watch sport (37%). Instead of sipping a cold pint with the sport on, they were one of the most likely to be seen on the treadmill while watching their favourite athletes on television, as 30% said they enjoyed exercising while viewing sporting events.

Fellow health-champions, tennis fans scored best in the drinking category, with just 7% of them saying they consume more than 10 units of alcohol each week, compared to the biggest drinkers, cricket and rugby fans, with more than 1 in 10 saying they drink 10 units or more on a weekly basis.

But how do each sporting fan base compare for the questions we asked?

Formula One Fans are the most active

Alongside their viewing habits, we asked how active the sports fans were, and Formula One fans came out on top, with 34% saying they average over 60 minutes of exercise every day. They are followed by football fans (33%), with golfers coming in joint last place with tennis fans (28%).

Golf fans play their sport more than anyone else

When it comes to sporting participation, golfing fans are the most enthusiastic, with 76% saying they play sometimes or often, followed by cycling fans (75%). At the other end of the table, football and rugby fans came last with just 56% saying they play their sport regularly.

Tennis fans least likely to watch sport in the pub

Having a drink in a pub garden during the summer or warming up inside with a pint as sport plays on a big screen is a large part of UK culture, and it can be great for people’s mental health to be around friends and family in such social situations. However, for this category, we’ve ranked those least likely to be seen in the pub and drinking alcohol as the healthier.

In this case, tennis fans come out top, with just 36% going to the pub to watch sport, compared to rugby fans, who were most likely to visit their local for the game.

Tennis fans are least likely to over-drink

We can see how sports fans go to the pub for a sporting binge, but what about actual alcohol consumption? Tennis fans seem to have the most restraint, with just 7% saying they drink more than 10 units per week and therefore coming out on top, compared to cricket and rugby fans, with 12% of each saying they drink more than 10 units a week.

Golfers and Cyclists drink the most while watching their sport

It was found that golfing and cycling fans admit to drinking more while watching sport, whether that be at the pub or at home alone. 51% of both fan bases said they drink more when sport is on, with football and cricket fans actually coming out best here, with 45% of them saying they drink more – the lowest percentage overall.

Golfers are watching sport while at the gym more than most

While Rugby players were most likely to watch their sport at the pub, we found that golfers would be most likely to be found in the gym watching sport – perhaps trying to make up for the fact that they get the least physical activity each day. 31% said they watch sport in the gym, compared to bottom-ranked football fans, with just 18% saying they’d watch a game in the gym.

Cricket fans are the healthiest eaters

The famous 5-a-day rule has been drilled into us all, with a variety of fruit and vegetables recommended as part of a balanced diet to keep us feeling fit and healthy. According to our study, it’s cricket fans who take that advice most seriously, with 21% saying they eat five or more fruit and vegetables daily. Meanwhile, just 16% of Formula One fans hit the 5-a-day target.

While these rankings highlight how different each fan base can be, there is one area where they were all very similar; the benefits they gain from watching sport.

Overall, one in two said that watching sport helps them to socialise more with family and friends. 49% also said it was good for their mental health, and 35% said that just the act of viewing sport makes them feel part of a community. Clearly, these benefits are even more important considering the past several years of isolation, sport cancelations and mental health issues as a result of covid restrictions.

Not only does sport bring people closer together, but it also inspires people to excerise more, with our results showing how one third of fans said it helps them to get up and become more active.

Phil Hannen, Health Intervention Manager at Better, commented on the findings:

“While our research explores how sports fans vary in their enthusiasm to emulate the sports stars they watch every week, the one thing clearly highlighted is how beneficial the presence of sports is in so many people’s lives.

“Coming out of difficult moments where sports events were cancelled, and so many were isolated in their homes, we can see from these results how essential the presence of sports has been, improving socialisation with friends, bettering mental health, and making fans feel part of a tight-knit community. It also encourages a large number of people to become more active themselves, and this is a huge aim of Better, to increase participation in sports and fitness across all ages and abilities.”

Fans of all sports evidently gain great pleasure from watching and participating in them, often with others and building a community of like-minded, passionate individuals with a shared love of their favourite game. Whether it’s a team sport, an individual sport or even just general fitness, find out how you can get involved and develop your own passion within your local Better community.