The influence of body weight on energy expenditure during walking on a road and on a treadmill

Summary 4 oxygen consumptions were measured on 8 subjects (varying in weight from 54.4–66.1 kg) at each of 3 speeds of walking (3.2, 4.8 and 6.4 km/hr) both on a treadmill and a road. Correlations between weight and oxygen consumption of 0.76–0.96, were significant at the 0.1% level of significance, at all three speeds on both treadmill and road. The relationship between body weight and oxygen consumption is linear and is markedly affected by speed. The slope of the linear regression lines of oxygen consumption on body weight increased hyperbolically with an increase in speed. Mean oxygen consumptions at 3.2 and 4.8 km/hr were significantly higher on the road but not at 6.4 km/hr. Curves of O₂ consumption/speed are non-linear and are markedly affected by body weight; both the intercept on the vertical axis and slope increases linearly with body weight.