Heart rate response to two lifting techniques.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the heart rate response to repetitive lifting of light weights employing two techniques, stoop and squat.

DESIGN

Randomized cross-over trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty healthy volunteers (11 women, 9 men), mean age of 25 years, recruited from the staff of a physical medicine and rehabilitation department.

METHODS

Subjects lifted and lowered a box weighing 0, 1, or 3 kg, using the stoop (bent at waist with knees straight) and squat (knees bent) techniques, 20 times in 1 minute.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The heart rate was recorded every 5 seconds during the effort aid 30 seconds and 1 minute after the test.

RESULTS

Significantly higher heart rates were found during both the test and recuperation phases of the squat technique with each of the three loads (p < .05). The heart rate increase was also higher with the 3 kg load than with the 1 kg or 0 kg load (p = .0001).

CONCLUSION

The heart rate is lower using the stoop technique for lifting. This may explain why individuals choose the more ergonomically risky stoop technique in everyday lifting tasks.