The physiological response to walking with and without Power Poles on treadmill exercise. Porcari JP, Hendrickson TL, Walter PR, Terry L, Walsko G. Department of Exercise and Sport Medicine, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, USA.

(Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport) Res Q. Exerc Sport 1997 Jun; 68(2): 161-6.

The physiological responses to walking with and without Power Poles™ were studied by Hendrickson (1993) and by Porcari et al. (1997). Power Poles are specially constructed, rubber-tipped ski poles designed for use during walking.
Hendrickson’s study group consisted of sixteen fit women (VO2max 50 ml/kg/min) and men (59). They did walk with and without poles on a treadmill with the speeds of 6-7,5 km/h. There were no differences in the responses between males and females. It was found that the use of poles significantly increased oxygen uptake, heart rate and energy expenditure by approximately 20% compared to the walking without poles in fit subjects. In Porcari’s study on 32 healthy men and women walking with poles resulted in an average of 23% higher oxygen uptake, 22% higher caloric expenditure and 16% higher heart rate responses compared to walking without poles an a treadmill. RPE values averaged 1,5 units higher with the use of poles and the pattern of responses was similar for men and women.


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