Relative exercise intensity and caloric expenditure of hooping

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative exercise intensity and caloric expenditure of hooping. Sixteen apparently healthy females, aged 16-59 years, from the Hooked on Hooping studio in Green Bay, Wisconsin volunteered to be tested. Subjects completed a 30-minute hooping trial by following a video created by the founder of Hooked on Hooping. To measure oxygen consumption, subjects wore a portable metabolic analyzer. Heart Rate (HR) was recorded using a Polar telemetric unit and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were determined using the Borg 6-20 scale. Results for the study showed that the average HR was 151 bpm, corresponding to 84% HRmax. Throughout the session, the average V02 measured was 20.6 + 3.31 ml/kg/min. The average caloric expenditure of hooping was calculated to be 7.0 + 1.44 Kcal/min, equivalent to 210 + 43.3 calories for 30 minutes of hooping. Average RPE was 13.0 + 1.51, which corresponds to "somewhat hard" on the Borg scale. Based on these results, hooping was shown to meet the recommended guidelines from ACSM for improving cardiovascular fitness and controlling body weight.