Plantar Pressure Responses to Backpack Load in Long-Distance Hikers: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

ABSTRACT: Background: Long-distance hiking usually requires carrying a backpack, adding external load to the lower limbs and modifying plantar loading patterns. Excessive loads may contribute to overuse injuries, but quantitative evidence to support current recommendations on backpack weight is still scarce. This study aimed to examine how different backpack loads influence plantar pressure in long-distance hikers. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in adults who had walked at least 20 km during the previous 24 h. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were recorded, and barefoot plantar pressure was assessed using the Podoprint^® system under four conditions: without a backpack, with the habitual backpack, and with backpacks loaded to 10% and 20% o

SUBMITTER: Moya-Cuenca C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12821408 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature