Despite the popularity of skateboarding worldwide, the authors believe that no previous studies have investigated the metabolic demands associated with recreational participation in the sport. Although metabolic equivalents (METs) for skateboarding were published in textbooks, the source of these values is unclear. Therefore, the rise in popularity of skateboarding, coupled with the absence of published works examining the metabolic responses to the activity, warrants further study. The purpose of the present study was to examine the questions: (a) will skateboarding in the field at a self-selected pace elicit sufficient exercise responses to increase aerobic fitness; and (b) is the caloric cost of skateboarding sufficient to help maintain a healthy body composition? To accomplish this, the authors established individual heart rate oxygen uptake relationships (O[subscript 2] pulse) during a submaximal, incremental skateboard treadmill test and used heart rate data collected during a 30-min field test (FT) to estimate the metabolic responses to skateboarding. The major finding of this study was that skateboarding is a viable option for developing or maintaining aerobic fitness. Results from the present study indicate that skateboarding may be effective as part of an exercise prescription for healthy young adults interested in alternative forms of exercise.
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