Exertion; Excess
Conditions
Brief summary
Backpacking is an increasingly popular outdoor recreational activity. The base pack weight (BPW) includes gear that is not consumed or worn on the body: shelter, sleep system, weather-proofing layers and personal gear to ensure a degree of comfort and safety. As such, reducing BPW is one of the most important tasks a backpacker manages when preparing for a trip. Available recommendations for ideal BPW are currently inconsistent, lack clear parameters, and rely on anecdotal evidence. The study aims to collect field data on perceived exertion and heart rate (HR) in relation to BPW during a day-long interval of hiking. Such findings can have implications on the cost and safety profiles extending from recreational backpacking to military and wilderness rescue operations.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALThe Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion
Participants who satisfy the exclusion criteria and health assessment instrument are categorized in the lowest risk group for cardiac events and does not require medical screening for mild to moderate exercise per ACSM guidelines.
Sponsors
University of California, San Francisco
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Caregiver)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Only adult (age 18-65) * Have gone on at least two overnight backpacking trips in the past 5 years * Have hiked at least 8 miles in a day on one of those trips
Exclusion criteria
* Lower extremity injuries or surgeries in the past 6-months * Daily Smokers * Chronic medical problems: * Hypertension * High cholesterol * Diabetes * Heart attack * Heart surgery, cardiac catheterization, or coronary angioplasty * Pacemaker/implantable cardiac defibrillator/rhythm disturbance * Heart valve disease * Heart failure * Heart transplantation * Congenital heart disease * Kidney disease * Back pain
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion During the Total Hike | 2 weeks | Participants will report their perceived exertion towards the end of both hikes. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale ranges from 6 to 20. 6 being the lowest score of no exertion and 20 being the highest of maximal exertion. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate | 2 weeks | Difference between participants' heart rate during both 17 and 19 pound base backpack weight. |
| The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion During Incline and Decline Sections of the participant | 2 weeks | Participants will report the perceived exertion mid-hike and towards the end. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale ranges from 6 to 20. 6 being the lowest score of no exertion and 20 being the highest of maximal exertion. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed