The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has released research carried out alongside Sports Data Labs and interactiveSquash.

It is claimed "pioneering technology" has captured data at PSA World Tour events which reveals the heart rates of players regularly exceed 190 beats per minute.

Players are also said to cover up to five kilometres on court during a single match.

"The data has shone a light on the supreme physical demands required of professional squash players when competing at the sport's elite level - whilst reinforcing squash’s position as one of the healthiest sports in the world," a PSA statement said.

The information has been released with World Health Day being marked yesterday.

"Squash has long had a reputation as one of, if not the single most demanding racket sport out there courtesy of the complex movements required and the repeated bursts of short, intense action with little rest periods - without mentioning the mental focus and concentration needed to compete at the elite level," said PSA chief operating officer Lee Beachill.

"That reputation is one that we have lacked the ability to directly translate to fans and viewers in the past. 

"But the trials we have run with Sports Data Labs and interactiveSquash have allowed us to develop a true understanding of players' movement and relative fitness for the very first time, which goes a long way to help illustrate the physicality of the sport - and reinforce the health benefits associated with playing the game at the amateur level.

"The numbers we have seen have made for compelling reading. 

"To see players covering over one kilometre in a single game is staggering. 

"That movement is made up entirely of three-six metre sprints, of which 30 to 40 per cent is a backwards movement, followed by a lunge or dynamic movement before striking the ball - a movement which in itself requires precise timing, strength and deft motor skills.

"We're hugely excited about what this data can mean for squash moving forward and the next step for us is to fully integrate the technology into our broadcast programming and social media channels in real-time to add a new dimension to the sport and enhance the experience for players and fans alike whilst also exploring the commercial opportunities that accompany these kind of data streams."

The squash tournaments are currently ongoing at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The sport's ultimate aim is for Olympic Games inclusion.