The oxygen consumption associated with unloaded walking and load carriage using two different backpack designs

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human Physiology
• Ergonomics

Background:

• Load carriage significantly impacts energy expenditure during locomotion.
• Traditional rucksacks concentrate load on the posterior, potentially increasing physiological cost.
• Innovative load carriage systems aim to optimize weight distribution for improved efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the energy expenditure of a novel AARN rucksack with front balance pockets against a traditional rucksack.
• To evaluate the impact of different inclines (uphill and downhill) on energy expenditure during load carriage.

Main Methods:

• Nine volunteers performed treadmill walking at 3 km/h on various gradients.
• Participants carried a 25.6 kg load using both the AARN rucksack and a traditional rucksack.
• Oxygen consumption was measured to quantify energy expenditure under loaded and unloaded conditions.

Main Results:

• Both loaded conditions showed significantly higher oxygen consumption than unloaded walking on downhill gradients.
• The AARN rucksack demonstrated significantly lower oxygen consumption during uphill walking across multiple gradients (0-20%).
• Overall, the AARN rucksack resulted in a 5% lower average oxygen consumption compared to the traditional rucksack.

Conclusions:

• The AARN rucksack, by distributing load to the front and back, is more suitable for heavy load carriage.
• Front balance pockets in load carriage systems can enhance energetic efficiency, particularly on inclines.
• This design may reduce physiological strain and improve performance in load-carrying activities.