NK's SUP Specific Calorie Study

In partnership with researchers from the University of Montana, Nielsen-Kellerman (NK) has developed the first SUP-specific calorie equation designed to calculate energy expenditure for all experience levels of stand up paddlers.

Stand up paddle boarding is a great activity for anyone looking to get outdoors, stay active, burn calories, and increase fitness. With the NK SUP Specific Calorie equation, we now have the answer to the question, "How many calories did I burn during that SUP workout?"

How Was the SUP Calorie Equation Developed?

More than 100 participants contributed to the study performed on a SUP ergometer, where researchers collected metrics including heart rate, stroke rate, oxygen consumption and speed to build the predictive equation.

Participants of the study were tracked over nine minutes of paddling at three different intensities to collect data on 11 different metabolic variables and five ergonomic variables. The scope of data gathered allowed researchers to devise a precise algorithm that estimates kilocalories within a range of +- 1.11 kcal/min 95% of the time.

Where is the SUP Specific Calorie Equation Being Used?

This algorithm is available exclusively in NK's SpeedCoach SUP 2. In addition to stroke rate, speed and other performance measures, the unit now features a real-time measurement of energy expenditure displayed as both total calories burned per hour. A heart rate belt paired with the SpeedCoach SUP 2 with Training Pack will provide an even more accurate energy expenditure reading. Along with these measurements the SpeedCoach SUP 2 trackers a paddler's speed, stroke rate, stroke count, distance per stroke and total distance traveled.