The effects of the Cross Walk's resistive arm poles on the metabolic costs of treadmill walking

Abstract

The recently developed CROSS WALKR exercise treadmill incorporates resistive arm poles designed to increase the metabolic costs associated with walking. Twenty-nine healthy men (mean age, 24.2 yr) were recruited to study the physiological effects of utilizing the arm poles during normal treadmill walking at 2,3, and 4 mph at a 3% grade. Ss walked at each test speed for 5 min with arms and 5 rnin without arms, achieving steady state HR and VO, at each of the 6 stages. The arm poles increased VO, (ml-min-I) by an average 58% and HR by an average of 32% above normal walking. Using arm poles increased RPE to a much lesser degree (9.1%). Except for RER, the arm pole treatment produced significantly (p < .01) higher values for all remaining metabolic variables (V,, Lsmin-I, kcals, and METs). It was concluded that the CROSS WAL,KR's arm poles #lowed individuals to obtain higher exercise intensity levels during treadnr911 walking without corresponding increases in perceived cardiovascular strain.