title: Changes in gait patterns in 10-year-old boys with increasing loads when walking on a treadmill.
abstract: This study examined the gait pattern, heart rate and blood pressure in children carrying school bags of 0 (as control), 10, 15 and 20% of their own body weight whilst walking on a treadmill. When compared to the 0% load condition, the 20% load condition induced a significant increase in trunk forward lean, double support and stance duration, and decreased trunk angular motion and swing duration and a prolonged blood pressure recovery time. The 15% load condition induced a significant increase in trunk forward lean and prolonged blood pressure recovery time. No significant difference was found in the measured parameters between the 10 and 0% load conditions. We concluded that back pack weight should not exceed 10% of body weight in 10-year-old boys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. youlianhong@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Brueggemann
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*