Effects of walking speeds and carrying techniques on intra-abdominal pressure in women

Introduction and hypothesis Walking speed and carrying technique affect intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in women. In this study, we tested the feasibility of monitoring IAP outside the laboratory environment and compared IAP while study participants were (1) carrying 13.6 kg (similar to a 3-month old in car seat) in six different ways while walking 100 m; and (2) while walking 400 m at self-selected slow, normal, and fast paces. Methods Forty-six healthy women between 19 and 54 years completed the walking and lifting activities; the order for each was randomized. IAP was monitored with an intravaginal pressure transducer that wirelessly transmitted pressure data to a portable base station. We analyzed maximal peak IAP and area under the curve (AUC) IAP. Results Monitoring IAP outside of the laboratory was feasible. Mean maximal IAP during walking increased as pace increased: 42.5 [standard deviation (SD) 10.2], 50.5 (10.9), and 62.0 (12.1) cmH 2 O for slow, medium, and fast speeds, respectively: p