Effects of Adjusting Backpack Shoulder Stabilizers on Psychological Responses and Autonomic Nerve Activity in Hiking

Purpose: There have been many studies on the effects of different types of backpacks on posture from a biomechanical perspective and on the center of gravity. Considering the effects of autonomic nervous system activity and mood associated with backpacks in mountaineering and hiking, research is also needed from a psychological perspective. In this study, the effects of adjusting the backpack shoulder stabilizer were preliminarily tested in terms of subjective fatigue and changes in autonomic nervous activity after hiking. Methods: The experimental 15 healthy participants hiked the mountain under two conditions: 1) without adjusting the stabilizer, a feature of the backpack (NAH condition), and 2) with the stabilizer adjusted (AH condition). First, all participants hiked the mountain in the NAH condition, and after a 30-minute break, they began the hike in the AH condition after confirming that a) their heart rate had recovered and b) they were in good physical condition. Results: HR was significantly lower after each hiking session than during the session. RMSSD was significantly lower pre-AH and post-AH than the NAH condition, but there was no significant difference between the NAH condition and either post-NAH or post-AH. Additionally, RMSSD was significantly lower in the AH condition than pre-AH or post-AH. The shoulders and back were significantly more burdened in the NAH condition than in the AH condition. The pleasure level was significantly higher in the AH condition than in the NAH condition. Conclusion: The results showed that also adjusting the position of the waist belt when adjusting the shoulder stabilizer, which is mainly used for the neck and shoulders, has a significant positive effect on the subjective burden on the upper body and parasympathetic nervous system activity after hiking.