Aim: 

The purpose of this study was to compare, in obese women, the effect of technical learning on physiological and perceptual responses in Nordic Walking (NW) compared to Walking (W).

Methods: 

Ten subjects ( BMI > 30; no other pathologies) underwent two testing trials, before and after the 4 weeks learning period, at speeds of 3 and 4 km/h, at grades of 0, + 5% and -5 %, using W and NW locomotion technique in a random order. Measurements of minute ventilation ( ), oxygen consumption ( ), energy cost (EC), heart rate (HR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were performed at each trials. In the basal trial was significantly higher in NW poles compared to W whatever the condition, excepted at 3 km/h in 5% uphill and significant higher values were also measured in NW for and EC, during down walk whatever the speed, in horizontal level at 3 and 4 km/h, and in uphill position only at 4 km/h.

Results: 

HR increased on average by 5 bpm when walking with poles. After the learning period all the subjects improved their skill and they reached the minimal technical score of beginners as established by INWA.. , EC and HR values were significantly higher for NW compared to W for all conditions. Moreover, obese women significantly consumed more calories using poles than before the learning period, at 4 km/h whatever the slope. Finally, NW did not modify RPE values in downhill and horizontal level compared to W. In uphill position and before the learning period, RPE was lower at 3 km/h in NW compared to W, whereas after the learning period, RPE was lower at 4 km/h using poles in NW.

Conclusion: 

These results suggest that while using poles, non-expert obese women increased their EC and HR without modifying their RPE. Moreover, this increase in cardiovascular demand was optimized after a short-term learning period of NW technique.