Characterization of Heart Rate Responses, Duration, and Distances Traveled in Youth Participating in Recreational Skateboarding at Community Skateparks.

Furr, HN, Nessler, JA, and Newcomer, SC. Characterization of heart rate responses, duration, and distances traveled in youth participating in recreational skateboarding at community skateparks. J Strength Cond Res 35(2): 542-548, 2021-Recreational skateboarding continues to gain popularity in youth within the United States and abroad. Surprisingly, there is a paucity of research regarding the cardiovascular responses of youth participating in recreational skateboarding. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that skateboarding would elicit heart rates and durations consistent with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for cardiovascular fitness in youth. Seventy-one recreational skateboarders (boys: 63 and girls: 8) between the ages of 6 and 17 years participated in this study. Data were acquired at 9 skateparks in the local community. After parental consent, subjects completed a questionnaire and were instrumented with a heart rate monitor (Polar V800 GPS Sports Watch), which recorded heart rate, duration, and distance traveled. Subjects were instructed to engage in typical skateboarding activities, with the duration and intensity of activity determined by the individual. Subjects were 10.6 ± 2.9 years old and had participated in skateboarding for 3.1 ± 2.4 years. On average, subjects skateboarded 55.5 ± 28.4 minutes, at an average heart rate of 140.4 ± 16.1 b·min-1, and traveled an average distance of 2.65 ± 1.87 km. Results from this study suggest that youth participating in recreational skateboarding at community skateparks attain exercise intensities and durations that are comparable with the ACSM's and CDC's exercise recommendations for cardiovascular fitness in youth. These findings may hold implications for city planners considering the impact of community skateparks on physical activity in youth and overall public health.