Squash as a unique fitness catalyst: the research

Intro

Of course at FunctionFlow we all love the sport of squash. But what does objective third-party data show? Is it just my subjective feeling that squash is special, similar to my obsession with honeycrisp apples? Is it only a case of "De gustibus non est disputandum" which was how Cicero (supposedly) claimed that in matters of taste there can be no dispute?

Or, what if squash really IS unique...? When you get the science folks to measure stuff and collect data, what if the objective evidence shows that my feeling that squash is special is kinda actually really the case?

So, to find out, I'm going to do a series of articles examining the published data and research. Some is more qualitative than quantitative, in that it's based on the judgement of experts. I'm also going to do everyone a favor and split it up into a series so each article is only a 5-minute read.

The working hypothesis

The working hypothesis is: as a fitness activity, squash contributes as much or more to human well-being than other fitness activities. We're going to look at the research from at least three main perspectives:

1. How playing squash contributes to physical well-being
2. How playing squash contributes to mental well-being
3. How squash contributes to social and community well-being

By the end of the series, we'll evaluate the working hypothesis and see where we are.

Part 1: squash and physical well-being

So to start, let's take a quick look at the high level data profile around physical benefits.

The go-to evidence for squash is an oft-cited expert panel assessment of a range of sports (this website cites this twice!). The panel consisted of exercise physiologists, professional coaches, personal trainers, and sports competitors. This panel assessed a range of sports on six criteria: cardio endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, caloric expenditure, and injury risk, and the results were published in Forbes Magazine. Of all sports that were rated, squash came out in the #1 position, and squash was therefore hailed as the "best overall sport for fitness".

So...there we go! Hypothesis validated! Well, not so fast. The panel assessment was perfectly fine, the results arguably correct. But, the results were also arguably incorrect for some of the sports, and "arguably" is the key word here, because this list has driven a ridiculous amount of fun, good-natured debate among sports fans on barstools for over twenty years.

So let's keep digging. Here's some more formal research results:‍

First: comprehensive cardiovascular and calorie expenditure (weight loss, blood pressure, and cardio health)

The Wisconsin Department of Health lists over 200 fitness and other activities by calorie expenditure. Squash in the top 10 or so, at 850 per hour for a 155 lb player. That is about 50% more than tennis or basketball and double the calories burned of aerobics or "general health club exercise". And it's both aerobic and anaerobic: "matches involve noteworthy contributions from both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, with 25% of playing time exceeding 90% of V̇O_2max." (source). Personally I burn about 550 per hour at my club squash level, at least according to Garmin and my Apple watch. Beginners will burn a little less, because their rallies are shorter. Two points here: while the data shows that squash can be as intense as you want, it starts at a level accessible to anyone. Point 2: yes, at about 800 calories per hour, squash is about the same as a running 7 miles on a treadmill over an hour. Guess which one is more fun?

We'll review the research on strength, agility, and the full-body components of squash and physical health next week.

‍