The metabolic and physiological responses to scootering exercise in a field-setting

Background: This study quantified the metabolic and physiological responses towards a range of scootering speeds in a field-setting. Methods: Ten participants (eight male, two female; mean ± standard deviation [SD] age:21 ± 1 years; peak oxygen uptake [V̇O2peak]: 51.5 ± 6.0 mL/kg/min) completed a cycling V̇O2peak test and a 30-min scootering protocol. Energy expenditure (EE), metabolic equivalents (METs) and heart rate (HR) were recorded throughout. Results: Mean ± SD EE and METs increased (P < 0.001) linearly when scootering at; 6.0 km/hr (4.3 ± 1.9 kcal/min, 4.1 ± 0.4), 7.5 km/hr (5.2 ± 2.7 kcal/min, 4.7 ± 0.5), 9.0 km/hr (6.4 ± 2.6 kcal/min, 5.2 ± 0.6), 10.5 km/hr (6.9 ± 2.8 kcal/min, 5.8 ± 0.6) and 12.0 km/hr (8.2 ± 1.7 kcal/min, 6.3 ± 0.8), respectively. When scootering at these speeds, mean ± SD percentage of maximal HR were 51 ± 11%, 55 ± 7%, 60 ± 9%, 64 ± 11% and 71 ± 9%. Conclusions: Scootering speeds of 6.0–10.5 km/hr meet the criteria for moderate-intensity exercise (3.0–5.9 METs). Scootering is an alternate form of exercise and mode of active transport, which may be included in the latest Compendium of Physical Activities guidelines and improve cardiorespiratory fitness if undertaken regularly.