Effects of a Wearable Carriage Aid on Whole-Body Physiological Measures and Balance

Abstract

Carriage tasks are common and can lead to shoulder and lower back injuries. Wearable carriage aids have shown mixed effects on local physical demand measures. This study examined the impact of a wearable carriage aid on whole-body physiological measures (normalized oxygen consumption, minute ventilation, respiratory rate, and heart rate) to obtain a more comprehensive assessment regarding aid effectiveness. Additionally, this study investigated the effect of wearing the device on perceived balance. The potential moderating effect of carried load mass was considered. The examination was conducted while walking on a treadmill at a constant speed (2 km/h) for 5 min and was completed by 16 participants. Wearing the device reduced normalized oxygen consumption (~14%), minute ventilation (~7%), and heart rate (~3%), while substantially improving perceived balance (~61%). These effects were consistent across examined carried load levels. Although this study highlighted the potential for the developed aid, future studies are required for more diverse and realistic testing conditions.