The effects of high heeled shoes walking in on energy expenditure and oxygen consumption in healthy young female

ABSTRACT

Background: Walking in high-heeled shoes is widespread dress behavior of women of modern society. It increases lower limb muscles activity and energy cost. The need to generate larger muscular forces during walking increases the metabolic demand, thus oxygen consumption (VO2) is increased when wearing high heels. Aims and Objectives: To access effect of high-heeled shoes on Energy Expenditure (EE) and VO2 in Healthy Young female. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among fifty apparently healthy female students between the ages of 20 and 26 yrs. Resting arterial blood pressure and heart rate (HR), VO2, heat production, and EE were recorded. Then, subjects walked barefooted a distance of 76.5 meters in 2 min. Following the barefooted walk, cardiac and metabolic parameter were recorded again. The subjects walked 76.5 meters in high-heeled shoes of 2, 4, and 6 inches. These parameters were recorded immediately after 76.5 meters of walking in high-heeled shoes. Results: The results from the present study indicate that walking a distance of 76.5 meters barefooted resulted in a significant increase only in mean arterial pressure, HR and rate pressure product. The EE and VO2 after walking a distance of 76.5 meters in high-heeled shoes of 2, 4, and 6 inches heel heights was significantly higher than walking a distance of 76.5 meters barefooted. Conclusion: Walking barefooted required lesser effort than walking in high-heeled shoes of different heel heights. Effort should therefore be made to encourage women to reconsider the habitual use of high-heeled shoes.