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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04249986

Backpack Weight Impacts

Backpacking is an increasingly popular outdoor recreational activity. The base pack weight (BPW) includes gear that is not consumed or worn on the body: shelter, sleep system, weather-proofing layers and personal gear to ensure a degree of comfort and safety. As such, reducing BPW is one of the most important tasks a backpacker manages when preparing for a trip. Available recommendations for ideal BPW are currently inconsistent, lack clear parameters, and rely on anecdotal evidence. The study aims to collect field data on perceived exertion and heart rate (HR) in relation to BPW during a day-long interval of hiking. Such findings can have implications on the cost and safety profiles extending from recreational backpacking to military and wilderness rescue operations.

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Key information

Conditions

Exertion; Excess

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

UCSF Fresno

Fresno, California, 93703, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Only adult (age 18-65)
  • Have gone on at least two overnight backpacking trips in the past 5 years
  • Have hiked at least 8 miles in a day on one of those trips

Exclusion criteria

  • Lower extremity injuries or surgeries in the past 6-months
  • Daily Smokers
  • Chronic medical problems:
  • Hypertension
  • High cholesterol
  • Diabetes
  • Heart attack
  • Heart surgery, cardiac catheterization, or coronary angioplasty
  • Pacemaker/implantable cardiac defibrillator/rhythm disturbance
  • Heart valve disease
  • Heart failure
  • Heart transplantation
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Back pain

Treatment and study plan

The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion

Behavioral

Participants who satisfy the exclusion criteria and health assessment instrument are categorized in the lowest risk group for cardiac events and does not require medical screening for mild to moderate exercise per ACSM guidelines.

Primary outcomes

  1. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion During the Total Hike

    Time frame: 2 weeks

    Participants will report their perceived exertion towards the end of both hikes. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale ranges from 6 to 20. 6 being the lowest score of no exertion and 20 being the highest of maximal exertion.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Heart Rate

    Time frame: 2 weeks

    Difference between participants' heart rate during both 17 and 19 pound base backpack weight.

  2. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion During Incline and Decline Sections of the participant

    Time frame: 2 weeks

    Participants will report the perceived exertion mid-hike and towards the end. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale ranges from 6 to 20. 6 being the lowest score of no exertion and 20 being the highest of maximal exertion.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, San Francisco

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Backpack Weight Impacts on Perceived Exertion and Heart Rate Variability

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Jan 31, 2020
Registry last updated
Aug 5, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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