Lin X, Yin S, Du H, Leng Y, Fu C. Biomechanical Consequences of Walking With the Suspended Backpacks.
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2024;
71:2001-2011. [PMID:
38285582 DOI:
10.1109/tbme.2024.3359614]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE
This article aimed to investigate the biomechanical mechanisms underlying the energetic advantages of the suspended backpacks during load carriage.
METHODS
In this study, we examined eight adults walking with a 15 kg load at 5 km/h with a designed suspended backpack, in which the load could be switched to locked and suspended with four combinations of stiffness. Mechanical work and metabolic cost were measured during load carriage.
RESULTS
The results showed that the suspended backpacks led to an average reduction of 23.35% in positive work, 24.77% in negative work, and a 12.51% decrease in metabolic cost across all suspended load conditions. Notably, the decreased mechanical work predominantly occurred during single support (averaging 84.19% and 71.16% for positive and negative work, respectively), rather than during double support.
CONCLUSION
Walking with the suspended backpack induced a phase shift between body movement and load movement, altering the human-load interaction. This adjustment caused the body and load to move against each other, resulting in flatter trajectories of the human-load system center of mass (COM) velocities and corresponding profiles in ground reaction forces (GRFs), along with reduced vertical excursions of the trunk. Consequently, this interplay led to flatter trajectories in mechanical work rate and reduced mechanical work, ultimately contributing to the observed reduction in energetic expenditure.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding these mechanisms is essential for the development of more effective load-carrying devices and strategies in various applications, particularly for enhancing walking abilities during load carriage.
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