- This topic has 3,181 voices and 6 replies.
- Posts
How Trekking-Poles Help Hikers Maintain Muscle Function While Reducing Soreness
ScienceDaily (June 3, 2010) A study by academics at Northumbria University has shown for the first time that trekking-poles help hikers maintain muscle function while significantly reducing soreness in the days following a hike.
In the study, 37 physically active men and women were split into two groups of equal fitness and asked to hike up and down Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales.
One group was issued with and trained in the use of trekking poles while the other group made the climb unaided. Each group ate the same evening meal on the night before; they ate the same breakfast, carried similar weight in day packs and took the same scheduled rests during both the ascent and descent.
The participants' heart rates and their personal perceived exertion ratings were recorded during the hike. Then, at the end of the hike, and at 24-, 48- and 72-hour intervals afterwards, muscle damage and function were assessed through a variety of tests.
The results showed that there was significantly less muscle soreness in the group using trekking poles. This group demonstrated a reduced loss of strength and a faster recovery immediately after the trek compared to the control group. Self-rated soreness peaked at 24-hours in both groups but was significantly lower in the trekking-pole group, both at this point and at the 48-hour point. In addition, levels of the enzyme creatine kinase (which indicates muscle damage) were much higher at the 24-hour point in the non-pole group, while the trekking-pole group's levels were close to the pre-trekking levels. This shows that the muscle damage they were experiencing was negligible.
Pole manufacturers have suggested that trekking poles can reduce forces on lower-limb joints by as much as 25 %. However, the existing research has been restricted to the laboratory or to non-mountainous outdoor settings, such as running tracks, and has only focussed on biomechanical investigations into stress on the ankle, knee and hip. This is the first documented study into the effectiveness of trekking poles in the environments for which they were designed.
"The results present strong evidence that trekking poles reduce, almost to the point of complete disappearance, the extent of muscle damage during a day's mountain trek," says Dr Glyn Howatson, who conducted the study.
"Preventing muscle damage and soreness is likely to improve motivation and so keep people enjoying the benefits of exercise for longer. Perhaps even more advantageously, the combined benefits of using trekking poles in reducing load to the lower limbs, increasing stability and reducing muscle damage could also help avoid injury on subsequent days trekking. It is often the reduced reaction time and position sense, associated with damaged muscles that cause the falls and trips that can lead to further injury in mountainous or uneven terrain.
"These findings have particularly strong application for exercisers wishing to engage in consecutive days' activity in mountainous terrain."
That research is no real surprise to me Peter – makes for interesting reading.
As a 34 year old bloke I had always thought walking poles a bit "gay". I'd never used them pre-Kokoda and believed they were mainly for over the top 65+ year old yogurt eaters.
That said – I picked up a sturdy looking straight branch from the scrub at the start of the trek at Owers, more as an afterthought, but about 10mtrs down the first slippery slope quickly realised I needed the bloody thing just to keep me off my backside. Because of how steep, slippery and rough the track is it was a must. I found it:
Kept me upright
Softened impact on downslopes
Took some weight off my legs going uphill
Was a guilty pleasure in some quieter moments when I confess to pretending it was a rifle.I ended up loving my stick well before trek end at Kokoda, even though it had lost a couple of inches and was considerably blunter than when I started. I didn't know what to do with it when I reached Orohaven as throwing it back into the scrub was unpalatable. My stick's saviour came in the shape of a solo trekker just starting out from Kokoda – he didn't have a stick and gladly accepted mine.
I like to think it's still making the trek back and forth – being passed on like a baton.
I loved reading your comment Rocky. In fact when trekkers come off the track more often then not they want to take their beloved stick back home with them. In fact the stick becomes more important to them then their backpack in terms of getting it safely back to Australia. One of the most common questions asked is…can we take our stick back home to Australia, will it get through customs. I give the same answer everytime…I have not received an email from a trekker saying they took the stick away from them. They obviously have to be cleaned thoroughly but that in itself is common sense.
Last week I went out and purchased a whole lot of pocket knives to start handing out to our porters….why…coz they love carving them as they walk along with their trekkers which makes their stick even more personal.
On one recent trek, one porter who resides in Port Moresby came back into town on the same flight as one of the trekkers. I do not know how it came about as this porter was a food porter. However, he asked if he could take the trekkers stick home to his house to carve something. So while our trekkers were relaxing poolside at the Gateway, a guy by the name of Wilson Sevesi was working away on his stick at his home.
Around 2pm, he phoned me on his mobile and asked if I could arrange collection of the stick. I drove down to his home and returned the stick to his trekker who at the time was in the pool at the Gateway Hotel. The excitement from the trekker when he realised his beloved stick was back and the fact Wilson had gone to the trouble of not only carving his nickname into the stick but other added touches as well was thanks in itself. When not walking the track Wilson earns a living out of signwriting, printing t/shirts to sell. When collected he added his artistic talent to the walking stick which would have been an added surprise to the trekker.
The other trekkers sat around admiring the work as I left the Gateway Hotel. This small gesture on behalf of Wilson, showed me, it was time to purchase pocket knives for our boys not just uke'ule's.
That's a great story Boss – it's funny how inanimate objects can take on very personal meaning and the added touch of a carving by your porter is a wonderful idea.
Hi Rocky.
I bought a single trekking pole the other day to take to New Zealand in february. I too thought they were only for yoghurt eaters and bowling hat wearers til I read the report I posted.What a fabulous read!
I too found my stick invaluable and it wasn't until about 5 days into our trek that I was brave enough to ask our trek guide if he knew any porters in our group who could carve my name into my stick (looking back, what a silly question to ask – as if he wouldn't know anyone who could carve – it's what they do best!)
My surprise at the end of our trek was that my stick was handcarved by the trek guide himself! And yes, it actually did worry me more than my luggage getting back through customs. It now proudly sits wall mounted on our wall as a reminder of how it helped me along my journey and became my best friend
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.