The effect of hand-held weights on the physiological responses to walking exercise

To study the physiological responses to walking with hand-held weights (HWs), 12 untrained men completed three sub-maximal and two maximal treadmill tests. Heart rate, oxygen uptake, respiratory exchange ratio, ventilation, systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, rate pressure product, and rating of perceived exertion were significantly greater (P less than 0.01) when HWs were added to walking exercise performed at constant treadmill speed and grade. To evaluate whether the evaluated BP response was caused by HWs independent of exercise load, heart rate was held constant at 75% maximum heart rate reserve during the third submaximal test. Systolic BP (151.1 +/- 15.3 mm Hg vs 160.1 +/- 16.9 mm Hg) and rate pressure product (252.1 +/- 27.0 vs 237.3 +/- 25.1) were significantly greater (P less than 0.05) during exercise with HWs. Physiological responses to maximal exercise with and without 3 lb HWs were similar. The time to exhaustion, however, was reduced (P less than 0.01) with HWs. (719.3 +/- 98.1 s with HWs vs 784.4 +/- 118.9 s without HWs). These data indicate that 3-lb HWs can increase the metabolic cost of training (1 MET, 7 to 13 b X min-1) and may be useful in exercise prescription for individuals who do not want to run or are limited in the speed at which they can walk. Due to the exaggerated BP response, caution should be used when prescribing HW exercise for patients where increasing afterload may be a problem.