Why an unstable underground has a positive effect on calorie burning

You burn a lot of calories while we SUP. Islesurfandsup raced the Dana Ocean Challenge, a popular 5 mile SUP race, and found that you can burn on average 713 to 1,125 calories in just under an hour of high intensity racing.

But what is it that makes SUP such a calorie-burning activity?

Recently, TNO (Wertheim, Kemper & Reus, 2016,University of Utrecht) published a research which gives us insight in energy-consumption (calorie-burning) on the water. Scholars researched if persons who work on a ship, burn more calories than a control group. The person on the ship - the unstable underground - used their muscles used for balancing constantly. 

Proprioceptive information from the skin, muscles, and joints involves sensory receptors that are sensitive to stretch or pressure in the surrounding tissues. For example, increased pressure is felt in the front part of the soles of the feet when a standing person leans forward. With any movement of the legs, arms, and other body parts, sensory receptors respond by sending impulses to the brain.

Because these muscles are under constant tension your energy-consumption is higher on the water, which has as consequence an higher calorieburning rate.

Consequently, if you go for a SUP-tour you pretty much doing the same. SUPing can be either low impact or high impact exercise, depending on your intensity. Plus, it incorporates a combination of balance, strength, core work and endurance. This makes paddle boarding one of the best crossing training to improve your surfing skills. And while balancing on your board, you will increase your energy-consumption even more.

Go ahead, take that piece of chocolate. You’re safe.