October 18, 2023
Update
A new Apple study highlights the health benefits of pickles
Apple’s Heart & Exercise Study Shows Tennis And Pickleball Win For Overall Health, As Pickleball’s Popularity Rises
Apple’s heart and locomotion researchers share new insights into one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, pickleball. Researchers turned to the data to see how this new sport compares to long-term tennis and how it affects overall health.
From the largest observational dataset of pickleball activity collected using Apple’s, researchers found trends in both pickleball and tennis exercise data that highlight the potential health benefits of both activities.
Participants often played pickleball and tennis for long periods of time, with average heart rates in 70 percent of recorded sports. Pickleball workouts lasted slightly longer than tennis workouts, and tennis athletes had an average time spent in higher heart rate zones and a higher average heart rate.
Pickleball is growing in popularity, surpassing tennis for the first time, according to researchers. Utah took the top spot in the study for the most registered pickleball sports per capita. The survey found that both pickleball and tennis were popular sports among adults of all ages, and both were more popular among men than women.
Observing participants’ behavior, along with activity and sensor data from the Apple Watch, will help increase researchers’ understanding of factors that affect heart health and activity over time.
“The Apple Heart and Activity Study gives us amazing opportunities to track the behavioral changes in participants and their health consequences,” said Calum MacRae, MD, Ph.D., cardiologist, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and principal of the Apple Heart and Activity Study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Detective. “Using Apple Watch data, following the growth of pickleball allows us to examine emerging trends and activity effects on a number of previously inaccessible health and wellness metrics.”
The Apple Heart and Activity Study is one of three public research studies that Apple has introduced in the Research app in partnership with major institutions. The Research application gives researchers the ability to expand the scope and scope of their research, discover new scientific discoveries, and Apple can create new science-based features in the process.
Paddles and rackets: Both provide healthy exercise for everyone
After researchers analyzed more than 250,000 pickleball and tennis workouts recorded on the Apple Watch, pickleball workouts averaged slightly longer than tennis workouts — 90 minutes and 81 minutes, respectively — and showed more variability in playing time.
Researchers analyzed heart rate data to assess the intensity of each type of exercise. The average maximum heart rate was nine beats per minute faster during tennis, averaging 152 beats per minute, compared to 143 beats per minute in pickleball.
Heart rate zones are another way to assess physical activity. While both sports had similar trends in time spent in each heart rate zone, on average, tennis workouts had nine percent more time in the higher heart rate zones compared to pickleball workouts.
Both pickleball and tennis sports were played for long periods of time, with participants reporting an average maximum heart rate in the 70th percentile of the estimated maximum heart rate during recorded workouts. Regular physical activity is associated with improved quality of life and healthy aging.
A match with thinking
The potential impact of exercise on mental health was important for researchers to consider. The study provides participants with an optional mental health survey that includes a depression screening tool called the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2).
In the study, scores consistent with depression were rare, but the distribution of PHQ-2 scores was lower in frequent pick-up ball and tennis players. The odds of PHQ-2 scores indicating depression were 60.1 percent lower than frequent pickleball players and 51.3 percent lower than the general participant pool among tennis players, reinforcing the benefits of physical activity on mental well-being.
“Research is a critical part of our health work at Apple, and it’s important to see the science behind the mental and physical benefits of activities like pickleball and tennis on Apple Watch users,” said Sumbul Desai, vice president of Apple Health. Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and many other chronic conditions. Finding an activity that someone likes to participate in can help build a routine, whether that means picking up a paddle or rowing.
According to the study, in July 2023, the number of participants playing pickleball in one month exceeded the number of participants playing tennis for the first time. While tennis exercise trends have seen seasonal variation, pick-up ball exercises have shown relatively steady growth.
In collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the American Heart Association, we are pleased to see the findings related to Clayball in the Apple Heart and Exercise study. As part of a healthy, social and active lifestyle, there are many benefits to playing on the pickleball courts for individuals of all ages and backgrounds,” said USA Pickleball CEO Mike Nealy. “As the national governing body for the sport in the United States, it makes more sense to see the science behind pickleball using real-world data from the Apple Watch. The relatively low-impact, informal, and social nature of pickleball provides a useful and fun outlet for those looking to add movement and flexibility to their workouts.
The research shows that both sports are popular with age and are more popular with men than women. On average, players logged at least 10 more pickleball workouts than their tennis counterparts — 51 and 45, respectively — and had higher female participation rates.
Utah Pickers find the top spot
Utah, the epicenter of the sport, emerged as the most popular state for pick-up ball per capita in the study, with only one in 16 study participants having tried the sport at least once.
“We’re thrilled to see that Utah is the most popular state for pickleball per capita in the latest study update from Apple’s Heart & Activity Study. “It’s great that so many Utahns are taking advantage of pickleball’s opportunity to incorporate exercise into their lives, and this study is a reminder that any form of exercise can be a powerful way to improve our long-term health,” said Spencer J. Governor of Utah.
A study of the heart and movement of the apple
The Apple Heart and Activity Study, in partnership with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the American Heart Association and Apple, explores the link between physical activity and heart health, and has more than 200,000 participants who have given their consent to be shared across the United States. Data.
Apple Watch Tips for Pickleball Players
Apple Watch offers a number of ways for users to stay connected, active, healthy and safe.
- Go to track pickleball sessions on Apple Watch Exercise app And select Add Exercise and then Pickleball. Users can customize their workout view on Apple Watch to include heart rate zones to help track exercise intensity. Users can review their activity data in the Fitness app on iPhone or health data in the Health app on iPhone or iPad.
- With the new one Double tap sign Coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 later this month, users will be able to answer and end phone calls or respond to messages while on the court with one hand while holding their paddles in the other.
- Users can create a custom to stay in the zone. Attention Choose on their iPhone when you want to receive alerts and notifications on Apple Watch to let other people know when they’re busy. Select Focus in Settings, tap the Add button, and select Custom to adjust the options.
- By setting up Apple Pay On Apple Watch, users can leave their wallet at home and pay right from their wrist.
- Users can swipe. Ertag to their pickleball bag and track its location on Apple Watch. Go to the Find Items app and choose to play a sound or pull directions to find the item.
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Zeina Kachadorian
Apple
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Clare Varelas
Apple
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