IS PADDLE BOARDING ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU?

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Isn’t it obvious?Everyone keeps saying Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is great for the body. But is it?

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Commonly held truths about SUP benefits:

1. Improves balanceThe continuous need to rebalance whilst motionless and paddling, combined with the neutral power stance, forces the SUP paddler to utilise muscles for posture.

2. Builds core strengthCore trunk muscles are required to be used when paddling in the standing position.

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3. Upper body strengthPropulsion of the SUP relies on using muscles of the upper body and paddling on alternate sides of the SUP prevents any muscle imbalances from unilateral paddling. The standing position decreases pressure on the spine that can be associated with rotational movements.

4. Back painMulti-muscle exercises have been proven to be more effective than isolated muscle training for strengthening back (paraspinal) muscles. And exercises performed in a neutral spine position lead to better outcomes. Both these points potentially indicate that SUP can be an effective rehabilitation exercise for certain types of back pain.

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5. Low impactNo repetitive impact on the joints makes it low impact and SUP may actually be significantly less dangerous than surfing.

Whilst similar to surfing, SUP is unique in that the paddler is already standing, thereby avoiding the “pop-up” stage that can induce stress on the back. The lower back and neck are the most common reported injuries from surfing.

6. RehabilitationUnstable surface training program might be an ideal initial exercise to prevent the loss and force often associated with injury.

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7. Bare foot benefitsSUP activity requires foot muscles to be highly active, thereby increasing foot musculature and providing a stable base for the activity. Various inputs on the sole of the feet are also thought to affect postural awareness.

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BUT, these are just assumptions that should be tested

After searching far and wide, we found:

▹ Little scientific research on SUP health benefits

▹ Available research is thin ▹ No scientific basis to conclude

paddle boarding is actually good for you.

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UNTILWe came across a doctoral thesis from PHD student, Ben Schram

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Study methodology

The thesis ran controlled tests across the following 3 groups:

1. Elite competitive SUP racersCurrently participating in competitions

2. Recreational SUPMinimum 1 year experience in SUP and no competitive experience

3. Sedentary No SUP experience and no exercise for past 6 months

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We’ve summarized what we think are the most interesting findings to finally answer:10

RESULTS

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The results in table form. An explanation on key components is found later.

Aerobic Performance12

Anaerobic Performance13

Question 1.Does SUP improve fitness?

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SUP participants have a high level of aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

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Answer:Does SUP improve fitness?

SUP Maximum Aerobic Power

One of the most fundamental ways to measure exercise physiology is through maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).

Notice the increase in VO2max from the sedentary group compared to the recreational group, and the increase again to the elite group. This suggests that VO2max increases with SUP activity. So, the more you SUP, the higher your aerobic capacity becomes.

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How does SUP compare with other water sports

The VO2max results obtained from the elite group can be used as both an aspirational qualities for those of us considering SUP competition, and to compare against the performance of other similar water sports. The results were comparable with other water sports that are also upper limb dominant.

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Stroke Length

The relationship between stroke length, distance covered and peak speed was interesting as the sedentary group had the longest stroke (2.34m), but covered the least distance and had the slowest peak speed. The elite group had the shortest stroke length (2.19m), covered the most distance and obtained the highest peak speed. The take away, don’t look to increase your stroke length if you are looking for speed gains.

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Question 2.Does SUP improve balance?

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The more you SUP, the greater your balance appears to improve.

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Answer:

Balance tests

The 3 groups also participated in tests designed to measure stability through a series of 6 postures by placing 3 sensors on the foot and measuring movement.

The tests were conducted with both eyes closed (EC) & eyes open (EO).

The results of these tests follow (the less movement, the more stable).

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Balance test 1 - Square22

Balance test 2 - Velocity of Sway23

Balance tests - Conclusion

In both of these tests, the elite group had significantly better balance than the sedentary group.

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Question 3.Does SUP improve core strength?

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There is a high level of core muscle endurance amongst those who

participate in SUP.

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Answer:ss?

Core strength tests

Core strength was measured through endurance tests where the participants of each group were timed how long they could hold the four positions.

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Core strength results28

Core strength tests - conclusion

The relationship of increased SUP activity and on core strength can quite easily be seen across all four tests. The message here is clear; more SUP activity results in better core strength.

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Question 4.Does SUP make you happier?

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Quality of life measures improved significantly across physical and

psychological health.

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Answer:ss?

Quality of life tests

This section proved to be a very interesting part of the thesis. A series of different tests were performed on one group of participants that had not participated in physical activity for the past 6 months. The group trained on SUPs for three, one-hour sessions each week for 6 weeks, with a range of measurements taken before and after the “intervention” or testing period.The following graph shows self reported data across a range of quality of life measures.

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Qualify of life results33

Qualify of life - conclusion

Yes, physical health increased by 19%, but psychological health also increased by 17.5%. So it appears as though paddle boarding does actually make you happier.

The factors the participants included in the psychological evaluation were:

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➔ Bodily image and appearance➔ Negative feelings➔ Positive feelings➔ Self-esteem➔ Spirituality/Religion/Personal beliefs➔ Thinking, learning, memory and concentration

Question 5.Can SUP beginners reap benefits?

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SUP can increase the fitness and strength of previously untrained

individuals.

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Answer:ss?

Beginner friendly tests

The “intervention” tests after the 6 weeks showed improvement across all areas, including aerobic, anaerobic and core strength.

These tests are shown on following slides.

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Beginner test 1 - VO2 Max38

Beginner test 2 - Anaerobic fitness39

Beginner test 3 - Core strength40

Beginner friendly tests - conclusions

1. VO2 MaxSignificant increase in aerobic capacity after the 6 week training intervention. Sure, there is still a gap until the capacity of the recreational SUP participants is reached, but the improvements after just 6 weeks are still impressive.

2. Anaerobic fitnessThe increase in anaerobic fitness after the intervention is very impressive, reaching levels similar to that of the recreational SUP participant.

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3. Core strengthThis graph shows results from one of four different endurance tests to measure core strength. The intervention group showed significant improvement, but it does appear as though more than 6 weeks training will be required to obtain similar core strength to recreational paddlers.

The substantial gains across fitness and core strength after just 6 weeks is great news for SUP beginners that are looking at getting into a sport that can show results quickly. If this is you, you might also want to check out our SUP Beginners Guide.

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The end43

This is the first study of its kind that we can point to and clearly answer some of the unknowns around a sport that, to many of us, make intuitive sense.

I hope this study paves the way for some larger studies to be completed, particularly around the long-term effects of SUP on fitness and mental wellbeing.

For more paddle boarding information, check us out at http://pumppaddleboards.com