title: Effects of load carriage on heart rate, blood pressure and energy expenditure in children.
abstract: Fifteen male primary school children, aged 10 years, were selected to carry school bags of 10, 15 and 20% of their own body weights, where 0% body weight was used as a control. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) tests were conducted on a motorized treadmill using a continuous incremental protocol. During the load carrying test, subjects walked on a treadmill at 1.1 m s(-1) for 20 min at each load condition. Blood pressures were measured before, immediately following, and at 3 and 5 min after every trial. Heart rate and expired VO2 were recorded before, during and 5 min after walking using a cardiopulmonary function system. The results showed a significant difference in oxygen uptake, energy expenditure and the recovery of blood pressure rise for between 10 and 20% body weight load conditions. The carrying weight of a school bag for children could be recommended as 10% of body weight because it was not significantly different from 0% load in the metabolic cost.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Science & Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories. youlianhong@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006339:Heart Rate; D006794:Household Articles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013334:Students