Research Investigates Physiological Challenges of Mountain Hiking
A leisurely hike in the woods is one thing. A continuous five-month,
2,000-mile trek through the Appalachian Mountains is something entirely
different.
A hearty group of individuals known as thru-hikers annually test the
limits of human endurance when they embark on a spring-through-summer
hike from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail.
John Davis, Alma’s Dana Professor of Exercise and Health Science, and a
team of students will investigate the physiological and nutritional
challenges that thru-hikers face. The researchers will conduct a series
of tests on the hikers before they start on the trail in March, during
their hike at locations along the way, and at the conclusion of the
trip in September.
Testing will include a number of physiological measures, including
heart rate, blood pressure, aerobic fitness, body composition and
muscle strength.
“The hike along the Appalachian Trail is one of the toughest ultra
endurance activities that occurs — hiking day-after-day, about 15 to 20
miles a day, for four to five months,” says Davis. “I’ve always been
interested in the limits of human performance and the kinds of changes
that take place during this kind of endurance activity. This research
is a good fit for my academic interest.”
Davis leaves March 7 for Dahlonega, Georgia, located about an hour
north of Atlanta near the start of the trail to begin pre-testing. He
has 20 subjects lined up for testing with hopes of increasing that
number to 50. In May, Davis and seven Alma College students will begin
testing thru-hikers along the trail. Post testing is planned in
September.
“I expect to find that people get in better shape as they go along,
that their aerobic fitness goes up and they lose body fat,” says Davis,
who is on a sabbatical from teaching to focus on his research.
“There are several other factors to study,” he says. “For example, are
there differences in male and female physiological responses? Also,
only 20 percent of the people who start the hike finish. Why do people
stop? I want to look at attrition. The reasons for stopping may not
always be physiological. Some may stop for psychological or personal
reasons.”
Davis also will consider age. Most thru-hikers fall in the 25-and-under or 50-and-older age groups.
“To date, no studies have comprehensively studied the physiological and
nutritional challenges that thru-hikers face,” says Davis. “This
research will be helpful to future long distance hikers and the
scientific community. It will help us answer the question: How far can
humans push themselves?”
Previous research by Davis includes studies on the effects of moderate
altitude exposure on exercise and cardiovascular responses and the use
of resistive exercise as a means of improving physical function in the
elderly.
Posted: Thu, March 1st, 2007 at 4:37PM
