Factors affecting the heart rate during self-paced walking

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanical Analysis
• Human Performance

Background:

• Self-paced walking is a common physical activity.
• Understanding factors influencing walking performance is crucial for health and fitness assessments.
• Previous research has explored various determinants of walking speed and heart rate response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effects of body composition, sex, and age on self-paced walking tests.
• To develop predictive equations for walking speed and heart rate based on significant influencing factors.
• To clarify the role of physical activity after accounting for demographic and body composition variables.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 277 self-paced walking tests.
• Application of step-up multiple regression analysis.
• Development of regression equations to predict walking speed and heart rate (fc).

Main Results:

• Stature and age were significant predictors of freely chosen walking speeds.
• For heart rate at 4.8 km/h, body fat percentage emerged as the most influential factor, with sex losing significance.
• Predictive equations were established for normal and fast walking speeds, and for heart rate in men and women.

Conclusions:

• Walking speed is primarily determined by stature and age.
• Body composition, particularly body fat percentage, significantly impacts heart rate during walking, more so than sex.
• Accounting for these factors allows for a clearer understanding of the influence of habitual physical activity on walking performance.