Workload comparison between hiking and indoor physical activity.

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics
• Sports Science

Background:

• Walking is a key aerobic fitness activity, adaptable for indoor and outdoor use.
• Outdoor hiking with trekking boots (TBs) demands higher energy expenditure than indoor walking.
• Understanding hiking's metabolic cost is crucial for safety and effective training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the metabolic cost of hiking on natural terrain with specific footwear.
• To compare this energy demand with indoor walking on a treadmill at various inclines.
• To identify an indoor treadmill setting that accurately reflects outdoor hiking energy expenditure.

Main Methods:

• Measured walking energy cost (J/kg/m) in 14 young men at speeds from 0.28 to 1.39 m/s on natural terrain with TBs.
• Compared outdoor data with treadmill walking at 0-4% inclines using running shoes.
• Assessed physiological parameters, including ventilatory threshold, before measurements.

Main Results:

• Outdoor walking oxygen uptake remained below the ventilatory threshold across all tested speeds.
• A 3% treadmill incline was found to best replicate the energy expenditure of outdoor hiking.
• Treadmill walking at 3% slope provides a comparable metabolic load to natural terrain hiking.

Conclusions:

• A 3% treadmill incline effectively simulates the energy demands of hiking on natural paths.
• This finding can inform the development of targeted training programs for hiking.
• It facilitates the creation of mixed indoor-outdoor training regimens for hikers.