Health and Fitness of Off-Road Riding a scientific study Presented - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Health and Fitness of Off-Road Riding – a scientific study

Presented by: Jo-Anne Farquhar, COHV Director of Communications & Public Affairs

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Presentation Overview

• Study purpose
• Study overview
• Aims and findings of each phase
• Conclusions
• Next Steps

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Study Purpose

Describe the physical demands of off-road vehicle riding and determine if participation is (or could be) associated with fitness and health benefits Evaluate fitness and health adaptations from a training program riding all-terrain vehicles and

• ff-road motorcycles as an exercise stimulus

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Background

• study conducted by York University
• Similar studies conducted of NHL players and

firefighters

• results were peer-reviewed, all study

components subject to ethics review board

• findings published in international academic

journals

• study supported by the Canadian Off-

Highway Vehicle Distributors Council, the All Terrain Quad Council of Canada, The Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia

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Study Overview

• Fall 2006
• Ontario Federation of Trail Riders

Pilot Project

• Physiological
• Psycho-social

Characterization

• Testing of habitual riders

Physical Demands of Riding

• Training of new riders

Training Adaptations

Phase 1 Phase 2

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• nationwide survey involving 310 participant to determine

the characteristics of a “typical” rider and of a “typical” ride

• information was then used as the basis to determine the

health and fitness impacts of off-road riding

• Characterize selected fitness and health attributes of two

types of habitual recreational off-road vehicle riders – All- Terrain Vehicles (ATV), Off-Road Motorcycles (ORM)

• Explore differences among recreational off-road riders

with reference to vehicle type, age and gender

• Compare fitness and health of recreational off-road

riders to population norms and clinical health standards

Phase 1

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• most rides involve “moderate” exertion – some terrains

represent a “vigorous” exertion;

• motorcycle riders experience higher levels in exertion

and frequency. ATV riders experience longer durations;

• significant differences in ride characteristics (exertion,

frequency, duration and physical demand) occur with the age of the rider, the length of the rider’s season, the number of hours the rider rides during a month and the number of years of experience of the rider;

Phase 1

• Rider Perceptions

Characterization

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• motorcycle riders wear more safety gear and carry

maintenance and support equipment. ATV riders wear less safety gear and the machine carries the maintenance and ride support equipment – this creates a greater potential physical demand on motorcycle riders

• Information in this study indicated that 77% of rural

residents have access to off-road vehicles. These findings demonstrate that ORV riding is a recreational activity that is appealing, readily available and a great

• pportunity for rural community residents to increase

their physical activity levels

Phase 1

• Rider Perceptions

Characterization

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• 128 riders
• divided into age groups – 16-29, 30-49, 50+
• testing the physiological (heart rate,

cardiovascular and muscle strength, oxygen consumption, etc.) demands of riding

• riders wore special helmets and equipment to

monitor and measure physical demands

• compared results to demands of other

recreational activities

Phase 2

• Testing of habitual riders

Physical Demands of Riding

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Cardiovascular and muscle strength:

• moderate-intensity cardiovascular demand

and fatigue-inducing muscular strength challenges, similar to other self-paced recreational sports such as golf, rock-climbing and alpine skiing Oxygen consumption (indicator of physical work):

• increased by 3.5 and 6 times the resting values

for ATV and ORM riding respectively –moderate intensity activity which is in line with Canadian physical activity recommendations

Phase 2

• Physiological findings

Physical Demands of Riding

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Heart rate measurements:

• considering heart-rate alone – off-road riding

can be categorized as “hard exercise” (this may be intensified through adrenalin and/or heat stress)

Phase 2

• Physiological findings

Physical Demands of Riding

• ff-road riding requires “a true physiological demand that

would be expected to have a beneficial effect on health and fitness according to Canada’s current physical activity recommendations”

• Burr, J., Jamnik, V., and Gledhill, N. “Physiological Demands of Off-Road

Vehicle Riding,” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (July 2010)

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• purpose – explore quality of life issues of off-road

riders

• secondary purpose – compare levels of mental

and physical functioning quality of life of recreational off-road riders to Canadian population norms

• findings compared off-road riding to non-

traditional forms of physical activity participation, such as video-based exercise, martial arts and adventure sports

• off-road riders also have higher Mental Component

Summary scores (measures which reflect mental status) than the non-riding normative Canadian population

Phase 2

• Psycho-social findings

(quality of life) Physical Demands

• f Riding

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based on Mental Component Summary scores, riders are “expected to have lower levels of stress and depression…and a higher overall life satisfaction”

• Burr, J., Jamnik, V., and Gledhill, N. “Health-related Quality of Life
• f Habitual Recreational Off-Road Vehicle Riders,” Health & Fitness

Journal of Canada 3.1 (2010)

Phase 2

• Psycho-social findings

(quality of life) Physical Demands

• f Riding

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Health Benefit Study

• purpose – determine the fitness and health

effects of a structured program of off-road riding on non-riders

• secondary purpose – determine if differences

exist between vehicle types and riding frequency

• Measure the ambient levels of carbon

monoxide exposure during group rides and discuss potential ill-effects of exposure on cardiovascular and respiratory health

Phase 2

• Training of new riders

Training Adaptations

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Health Benefit Study

58 participants:

• ATV 2 days/week (n=11)
• ORM 2 days/week (n=12)
• ATV 4 days/week (n=11)
• ORM 4 days/week (n=12)
• control group (status quo) (n=12)
• Aerobic fitness, musculoskeletal fitness, body

composition, clinical health and quality of life (QOL) were compared at baseline and following approximately 48 training hours over 6 weeks of training

Phase 2

• Training of new riders

Training Adaptations

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Health Benefit Study

• consistent participation in off-road riding is an

effective mode of alternative physical activity for decreasing heaviness, increasing muscle mass and improving endurance in the lower body

• riding 2 days/week has the same impact on

musculoskeletal and aerobic fitness training

• utcome
• Ambient carbon monoxide levels while riding (<30

ppm) were within safe exposure guidelines

• Positive adaptations can be gained from a training

program using off-road vehicle riding as the exercise stimulus

Phase 2

• Findings

Training Adaptations

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Health Benefit Study

• in all riding groups, there were

improvements in blood pressure, fasting glucose, subcutaneous adiposity, body mass, waist circumference and isometric leg endurance Phase 2

• Findings

Training Adaptations

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Conclusion Phase 2

• Findings

Training Adaptations

“The results of this study confirm that off-road riding is a useful alternative physical activity modality for improving health-related fitness and QOL (quality of life) and could have substantial population health effects and health care savings given the high participation rates in North America”

• Burr, J., Jamnik, V., and Gledhill, N. “Physiological fitness and

health adaptations from purposeful training using off-road vehicles,” European Journal of Applied Physiology (December 2010)