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Physiological responses to nordic walking, walking and jogging.
Thorsten Schiffer1, Axel Knicker, Uwe Hoffman
1Institute of Motor Control and Movement Technique, German Sport University Cologne, Carl-Diem-Weg 6, Cologne, Germany. t.schiffer@dshs-koeln.de
European Journal of Applied Physiology
|June 27, 2006
Summary
Nordic walking (NW) elicits different physiological responses compared to walking (W) and jogging (J). Metabolic responses are key to assessing exercise intensity, but standard measures for W and J are not suitable for NW training.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Sports Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Incremental field tests (FT) are used to assess physiological responses during exercise.
- Nordic walking (NW), walking (W), and jogging (J) are common forms of bipedal locomotion with varying intensities.
- Understanding the metabolic differences between these activities is crucial for effective training recommendations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the physiological responses, including heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (V(O)(2)), during incremental field tests in NW, W, and J.
- To evaluate the suitability of standard exercise intensity measures for NW training.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen healthy middle-aged women performed three incremental field tests.
- Continuous monitoring of HR and V(O)(2) using portable analyzers.
- Analysis of capillary blood lactate (La) at rest and after each stage.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in V(O)(2) between NW and W were observed at speeds of 1.8 and 2.1 m/s.
- V(CO)(2) was consistently higher in NW compared to W, and higher in NW compared to J at specific speeds.
- While HR was higher for NW and W at 2.4 m/s compared to J, HR increased at fixed lactate levels (La2, La4) for J compared to NW and W.
Conclusions:
- Metabolic responses effectively assess exercise intensity during bipedal activities.
- NW speed at submaximal lactate levels is lower than W and J, rendering standard HR and V(O)(2) measures unsuitable for NW training.
- The V(O)(2) during NW may be lower than previously reported.