The metabolic cost of backpack and shoulder load carriage

Eleven healthy male volunteer soldiers (mean [SD] age 24.0 [2.8] years, stature 174.1 [5.2] cm, body weight 73.2 [10.8] kg, body fat 14.2 [5.0]% and maximal oxygen uptake 4.1 [0.4] 1 min-1) walked at 4.8 km h-1 on a motor driven treadmill for 5 min at each of three gradients (0, 2.5 and 5%) whilst carrying a two-part 26 kg load either on each shoulder or strapped to a backpack frame. The load was made up of two cylinders, one weighing 18.4 kg and the other weighing 7.6 kg. For all treadmill gradients the mean (SD) backpacking heart rates and oxygen uptakes (0% gradient, 122 [10] beats min-1, 1.51 [0.11] 1 min-1; 2.5% gradient, 135 [10] beats min-1, 1.81 [0.13] 1 min-1; 5% gradient, 155 [7] beats min-1, 2.21 [0.11] 1 min-1) were significantly (p less than 0.001) lower than for shoulder load carriage (0% gradient, 130 [9] beats min-1, 1.70 [0.12] 1 min-1, 2.5% gradient, 147 [8] beats min-1; 2.01 [0.10] 1 min-1; 5% gradient 164 [9] beats min-1, 2.39 [0.11] 1 min-1). The relative oxygen cost of backpacking was 4.3-4.7% VO2 max lower than for shoulder load carriage. It is concluded that the metabolic cost of backpacking an asymmetric two part 26 kg load was significantly less than for shoulder load carriage when walking at 4.8 km h-1 on a treadmill over gradients of 0-5%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)