Abstract
20 Young men marched 6 and 12 km with a well-fitted back-pack load of 30 or 35 kg. Each subject served as his own control. No significant increase in mean heart rate, rectal temperature, or decrease in mean VO 2 max and serum levels of glucose and muscle enzymes were recorded in the groups marching 6 km with 30 and 35 kg. Significant differences in the increases in mean heart rate, the decreases in VO 2 max and the changes in blood glucose were noted between the 2 groups carrying 30 and 35 kg for 12 km. These significant differences were also supported by the subjective feelings of the volunteers. The present study shows the optimal back-pack load for healthy young men, marching at 6 km/hr on a paved road, road to be 30 kg for 12 km and 35 kg for 6 km without considering the task too difficult and with no significant decrease in VO 2 max. The results are relevant to hiking, rescue assignments, and military missions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 281-284 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| State | Published - 1978 |
| Externally published | Yes |