The Study
The Reduction of Metabolic Cost While Using Handrail Support During Inclined Treadmill Walking is Dependent on the Handrail-use Instruction
This study watched 13 people walk on a treadmill in different ways and measured how much energy they used. It found that leaning back while holding the handrails seemed to use less energy, but it didn’t prove that leaning back caused the change — maybe they just felt more relaxed or walked slower.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at how holding onto handrails while walking uphill changes how much energy you use.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 526 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Leaning back while holding rails made uphill walking use almost the same energy as walking on a gentler slope — so it might help you save energy.
- 2Walking uphill at 10% without holding rails used 8.83 kcal/min.
- 3Holding rails while standing up used 7.77 kcal/min.
- 4Holding rails while leaning back used 6.02 kcal/min.
- 5Walking at 5% uphill without rails used 6.32 kcal/min.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Exercise Science
Year
2014
Authors
C. Hofmann, Connor J Dougherty, Hagop K Abkarian, M. Fox, P. Juris
Related Content
Claims (4)
Walking on a 10% incline while holding handrails and leaning back uses the same amount of energy as walking on a 5% incline without holding handrails, and uses less energy than walking upright on steeper slopes without support.
Walking uphill at a 10% slope without holding onto a handrail burns 8.83 calories per minute, which is more than the 6.32 calories per minute burned when walking at a 5% slope without support.
Walking uphill at a 10% slope uses twice as much energy as walking on flat ground at the same speed.
Walking uphill at a 10% slope while holding handrails burns 7.77 kcal per minute, which is more than walking at a 5% slope without handrails, which burns 6.32 kcal per minute. Handrail use at the steeper slope does not lower energy expenditure compared to the gentler slope.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.