Rainbow's End Experiment Proves a Day at the Theme Park Gets the Heart Pumping - Literally

According to an experiment conducted by Rainbow’s End this month, half a day at the theme park could burn 1200 calories, the equivalent of 4.5 McDonald’s cheeseburgers, or 171 fries.

The research also showed that theme park rides can cause a person’s heart rate to climb up to 160 BPM, well into the scientifically recognised fat burning zone. 

Eight participants wore a Fitbit Surges Charge 2 while they spent the day at Rainbow’s End, experiencing rides such as the Pirate Ship, Corkscrew Coaster, and the adrenaline pumping Stratosfear, which has a 360 degree rotation. The Fitbit Charge 2 model measures and displays heart beats per minute, along with calories burned. 

The ride that caused the highest jump in heart rate was Fearfall, which climbs 18 stories before dropping the riders at 80km/h. The highest recorded heart rate on Fearfall was 130BPM, with the average being 108BPM.

The Corkscrew Coaster, which is 27 metres at its highest point, and can reach 45km/h, also caused some extreme reactions. The average heart rate among all of the riders was 95BPM, with one person peaking at 160BPM. 

The two rides that caused the smallest increase in heart rate were the Pirate Ship, and Invader, which spins along an 80m track. The highest BPM recorded on the Pirate Ship was 80, while Invader topped out at 93. However, that still signified an average increase of 10-15 beats above resting heart rate for both rides. 

The maximum calories burned during a half day was 1200 calories, with the lowest being 560 calories. That included walking between the rides, as well as going on the rides themselves (which tended to burn between 60 - 100 calories each).

Katharine Murray, Rainbow’s End Marketing Manager said: 
“It has been fascinating to see the physical effects that a day at the theme park can have. Riding a roller coaster wouldn’t traditionally be seen as a way to burn calories, and get the heart pumping. Of course, individual results will vary. However, our volunteers burned more at the park than they would if they spent an hour in a spin class, or three hours on a cross-trainer. That will likely come as a surprise to some people, and probably be quite appealing. It is certainly one of the more entertaining ways to drop the pounds.”