Exploring the utilisation of stand up paddle boarding in Australia

Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) has grown exponentially in the last few years with unprecedented participation rates globally. Despite some scientific research on physiological and performance variables, minimal information exists regarding participation and utilisation. The purpose of this study was to discover more about how and where people participate in the relatively new sport of SUP. An open-source online survey application was administered internationally to active SUP participants to capture information relevant to both demographics and participation. Of a total of 240 responses, 154 (64.2%) were Australian. The average SUP rider was 42.9 ± 11.7 years, mass 80.4 ± 18.7 kg, 1.75 ± 0.10 m tall with a BMI of 26.1 ± 4.9. More males (69.5%) participate in SUP than females with the majority of participants from the eastern seaboard of Australia. Participants most commonly used SUP for fun and fitness, for around 3 h per week, predominantly at the beach with friends, with around half of the respondents reporting a competitive involvement. This is the first study to date to quantify participation of SUP within Australia. Results revealed SUP is a global activity with a high representation within Australia. Key findings from this study reveal the geographical and demographic distribution of SUP use. Consequently, these findings may inform the industry about its target audience. Additionally, information regarding the ‘typical’ SUP rider may serve to further promote and grow the sport

The physiological, musculoskeletal and psychological effects of stand up paddle boarding

Background: Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a rapidly growing sport and recreational activity where anecdotal evidence exists for its proposed health, fitness and injury rehabilitation benefits. While limited scientific evidence exists to substantiate these claims, our current research has shown that a high level of fitness, strength and balance exists amongst participants of this activity. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a training intervention on a group of previously untrained individuals to ascertain the physiological, musculoskeletal and psychological training effects of SUP. Methods: Participants acted as their own controls with a 6 week control period between first measurements and follow up measurements prior to the training intervention. A total of 13 SUP participants completed the training study (9 males, 4 females) which was comprised of 3 one hour sessions per week for 6 weeks. Results: Significant improvements (p \u3c 0.05) were made in aerobic (+23.57%) and anaerobic fitness (+41.98%), multidirectional core strength tests (prone bridge +19.78%, right side bridge +26.19%, left side bridge +28.31%, Biering Sorensen +21.33%) and self-rated satisfaction with participants own health (+28.05%), domains of physical health (+18.99%) and psychological heath (17.49%). No significant differences were found in blood profiling, body composition or static and dynamic balance over the duration of the 6 weeks. Conclusion(s): These results demonstrate the benefits of participation in SUP for the sedentary individual over a 6 week period. The results also provide evidence to substantiate the claims of health benefits and utilisation of SUP as a potential training and rehabilitation tool. Implications: Stand up paddle boarding is a fun, low impact easy to learn and accessible activity/sport that offers clear health benefits

Profiling the sport of stand-up paddle boarding

Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) is a rapidly growing activity where only anecdotal evidence exists for its proposed health and fitness benefits. The purpose of this study was to profile elite and recreational SUP with respect to anthropometric, physiological and musculoskeletal measurements. A total of 30 SUP participants (15 recreational, 15 elite) and 15 sedentary controls participated in this study. Elite and recreational (rec) SUP participants had significantly lower body fat than sedentary (sed) individuals, elite had significantly higher HDL and significantly lower triglycerides than other groups during lipid profiling (P \u3e 0.05). There were significant differences (P \u3e 0.05) between all groups in maximal oxygen uptake (elite 43.7, s = 5.89 ml · kg–1 · min–1 vs. rec 31.9, s = 7.7 ml · kg–1 · min–1 vs. sed 20.4, s = 3.7 ml · kg–1 · min–1) and anaerobic power outputs (35.7, s = 11.1 W vs. 25.0, s = 11.7 W vs. 13.5, s = 7.1 W). The elite group displayed significantly longer endurance than the recreational and sedentary group in the prone bridge (elite 253.4, s = 67.6 s vs. rec 165.6, s = 42.2 s vs. sed 69.7, s = 31.2 s), right-sided bridge (elite 107.9, s = 34.0 s vs. recreational 68.2, s = 24.1 s vs. sed 34.6, s = 15.5 s), left-sided bridge (elite 99.8, s = 24.9 s vs. rec 68.2, s = 27.2 s vs. sed 32.5, s = 15.2 s) and Biering Sorensen test (elite 148.8, s = 35.4 s vs. rec 127.2, s = 43.2 s vs. sed 71.1, s = 32.9 s). Elite SUP had significantly better static and dynamic postural control when compared to the other groups. This study demonstrates the anthropometric, physiological and musculoskeletal values representative of elite and recreational SUP. SUP appears to be associated with increased levels of aerobic and anaerobic fitness, increased static and dynamic balance and a high level of isometric trunk endurance

Laboratory-and field-based assessment of maximal aerobic power of elite stand-up paddle-board athletes

Purpose: Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) is a rapidly growing sport and recreational activity for which only anecdotal evidence exists on its proposed health, fitness, and injury-rehabilitation benefits. Participants: 10 internationally and nationally ranked elite SUP athletes. Methods: Participants were assessed for their maximal aerobic power on an ergometer in a laboratory and compared with other water-based athletes. Field-based assessments were subsequently performed using a portable gas-analysis system, and a correlation between the 2 measures was performed. Results: Maximal aerobic power (relative) was significantly higher (P = .037) when measured in the field with a portable gas-analysis system (45.48 ± 6.96 mL · kg−1 · min−1) than with laboratory-based metabolic-cart measurements (43.20 ± 6.67 mL · kg−1 · min−1). There was a strong, positive correlation (r = .907) between laboratory and field maximal aerobic power results. Significantly higher (P = .000) measures of SUP paddling speed were found in the field than with the laboratory ergometer (+42.39%). There were no significant differences in maximal heart rate between the laboratory and field settings (P = .576). Conclusion: The results demonstrate the maximal aerobic power representative of internationally and nationally ranked SUP athletes and show that SUP athletes can be assessed for maximal aerobic power in the laboratory with high correlation to field-based measures. The field-based portable gas-analysis unit has a tendency to consistently measure higher oxygen consumption. Elite SUP athletes display aerobic power outputs similar to those of other upper-limb-dominant elite water-based athletes (surfing, dragon-boat racing, and canoeing)