[Supertraining] Re: Hand held weights while walking

There are other studies to support the one below. Of note is that
the hand weights need to be at least 3 lbs.
Orthopedic/overuse stress of the shoulder and rotator cuff should
also be a concern; as such any use of handheld weights should be
applied to an overall program in a progressive manner.

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1987 Jun;19(3):260-5.

The effect of hand-held weights on the physiological responses to
walking exercise.Graves JE, Pollock ML, Montain SJ, Jackson AS,
O'Keefe JM.

To study the physiological responses to walking with hand-held
weights (HWs), 12 untrained men completed three sub-maximal and two
maximal treadmill tests. Heart rate, oxygen uptake, respiratory
exchange ratio, ventilation, systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic
BP, rate pressure product, and rating of perceived exertion were
significantly greater (P less than 0.01) when HWs were added to
walking exercise performed at constant treadmill speed and grade. To
evaluate whether the evaluated BP response was caused by HWs
independent of exercise load, heart rate was held constant at 75%
maximum heart rate reserve during the third submaximal test. Systolic
BP (151.1 +/- 15.3 mm Hg vs 160.1 +/- 16.9 mm Hg) and rate pressure
product (252.1 +/- 27.0 vs 237.3 +/- 25.1) were significantly greater
(P less than 0.05) during exercise with HWs. Physiological responses
to maximal exercise with and without 3 lb HWs were similar. The time
to exhaustion, however, was reduced (P less than 0.01) with HWs.
(719.3 +/- 98.1 s with HWs vs 784.4 +/- 118.9 s without HWs). These
data indicate that 3-lb HWs can increase the metabolic cost of
training (1 MET, 7 to 13 b X min-1) and may be useful in exercise
prescription for individuals who do not want to run or are limited in
the speed at which they can walk. Due to the exaggerated BP response,
caution should be used when prescribing HW exercise for patients
where increasing afterload may be a problem.

Michael Smartt, MS CSCS
Oakland, CA
USA

--- In Supertraining@yahoogroups.com, "sendcare" <sendcare@...> wrote:
>
> Is it beneficial or detrimental to use hand held weights while
walking?
>
> Thank you,
> Kim ??
> Huntsville, AL
> USA
>

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