Backpack Load Influences Heart Rate While Climbing

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze effects of backpack loads on heart rate while climbing.

Material and methods: A first sample of climbers absolved a 5b route (French scale) without a backpack and with 5, 10 and 15 kg load. To further analyze effects of climbing difficulty a second sample of climbers absolved two routes with difficulty of 5b respectively 5c (French Scale) without and with a load of 10 kg.

Results: In the first sample increases of heart rate from 97.6 ± 14.4 to 146.0 ± 15.1 with no load, 105.9 ± 14.7 to 154.7 ± 14.6 with 5 kg load, 108.2 ± 16.2 to 162 ± 14.2 with 10 kg load, 111.2 ± 9.9 to 170.2 ± 9.9 with 15 kg load were detected (p<0.01). In route 5b average heart rate increased from 99.8 ± 15.5 to 146.3 ± 23.7 without respectively 102.4 ± 22.8 to 164.1 ± 22.7 with 10 kg load (p<0.01). In route 5c an increase from 99.6 ± 11.9 to 145.1 ± 24.0 without respectively from 102.0 ± 26.6 to 164.1 ± 19.2 with 10 kg load was detected (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Analyses indicate that an increase of 1 kg in backpack load leads to an increase of heart rate of 1-2 beats per Minute independent from climbing difficulty.

Author(s): Benedikt Gasser*

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