Metabolic demands of slacklining in less and more advanced slackliners

Figures & data

Figure 1. Design of the study.

Figure 2. (A) Oxygen uptake (V̇O₂) during seated rest, parallel two leg stance on a stable surface (2LS), one-leg stance on a stable surface with 20s right and left foot alternation (1LS), one-leg stance on slackline with 20 s right and left foot alternation (1LSS), walking at self-selected speed on slackline (WSS); walking at given speed (15 m·min⁻¹) on slackline (WGS). Percentages represent V̇O₂ increases with respect to seated rest. (B) V̇O₂ in less and more advanced climbers during balancing on stable surface and slackline. * represents large effect of slackline ability (Cohen’s d > 0.8).

Table 1. Oxygen uptake (V̇O₂), pulmonary ventilation (V̇_E), tidal volume (VT), breathing frequency (BF) and heart rate (HR) during balancing tasks in less and more advanced slackliners. Bold format represents large effect of slackline ability (Cohen’s d > 0.8).

	Less advanced	More advanced	Cohen’s d
	N = 10	N = 9
Standing stable surface - both legs
V̇O2 (l·min^−1)	0.37 ± 0.06	0.38 ± 0.08	0.17
V̇O2 (ml·kg^−1·min^−1)	4.9 ± 0.8	5.1 ± 0.8	0.18
V̇E (l· min^−1)	12.7 ± 2.3	13.2 ± 1.9	0.23
VT (l)	0.84 ± 0.33	0.80 ± 0.27	0.13
BF (breaths·min^−1)	17 ± 5	18 ± 5	0.17
HR (beats·min^−1)	88 ± 15	88 ± 16	0.00
EE (kJ·kg^−1·min^−1)	0.103 ± 0.016	0.106 ± 0.016	0.21
Standing stable surface– one leg
V̇O2 (l·min^−1)	0.47 ± 0.08	0.49 ± 0.10	0.21
V̇O2 (ml·kg^−1·min^−1)	6.3 ± 0.9	6.6 ± 0.9	0.26
V̇E (l· min^−1)	14.7 ± 2.2	15.3 ± 2.7	0.25
VT (l)	0.91 ± 0.32	0.85 ± 0.32	0.19
BF (breaths·min^−1)	19 ± 5	20 ± 5	0.24
HR (beats·min^−1)	91 ± 16	89 ± 14	0.10
EE (kJ·kg^−1·min^−1)	0.132 ± 0.019	0.137 ± 0.018	0.26
Standing slackline – one leg
Falls (n)	6.5 ± 3.7	0.3 ± 0.7	1.50
V̇O2 (l·min^−1)	1.30 ± 0.26	1.02 ± 0.19	1.23
V̇O2 (ml·kg^−1·min^−1)	17.6 ± 4.1	13.8 ± 2.4	1.12
V̇E (l· min^−1)	35.9 ± 7.0	27.2 ± 5.9	1.35
VT (l)	1.43 ± 0.47	1.28 ± 0.30	0.40
BF (breaths·min^−1)	27 ± 6	23 ± 7	0.68
HR (beats·min^−1)	129 ± 20	117 ± 21	0.60
EE (kJ·kg^−1·min^−1)	0.367 ± 0.086	0.289 ± 0.050	0.98

Table 2. Oxygen uptake (V̇O₂), pulmonary ventilation (V̇_E), tidal volume (VT), breathing frequency (BF) and heart rate (HR) during walking on slackline in less and more advanced slackliners. Bold format represents large effect of slackline ability (Cohen’s d > 0.8).

	Less advanced	More advanced	Cohen’s d
	N = 10	N = 9
Walking on slackline at self- selected speed
Speed (m·min^−1)	12.2 ± 4.1	16.5 ± 4.7	0.97
Falls (n)	6.0 ± 0.8	3.0 ± 1.0	2.30
V̇O2 (l·min^−1)	1.67 ± 0.29	1.48 ± 0.36	0.57
V̇O2 (ml·kg^−1·min^−1)	22.4 ± 4.3	19.8 ± 3.5	0.66
V̇E (l· min^−1)	44.7 ± 9.3	36.4 ± 8.4	0.93
VT (l)	1.59 ± 0.48	1.42 ± 0.33	0.41
BF (breaths·min^−1)	30 ± 7	27 ± 6	0.49
HR (beats·min^−1)	137 ± 20	125 ± 17	0.65
EE (kJ·kg^−1·min^−1)	0.469 ± 0.089	0.415 ± 0.074	0.64
Walking on slackline 15m·min^−1
Falls (n)	5.5 ± 0.7	3.2 ± 0.7	2.04
V̇O2 (l·min^−1)	1.68 ± 0.32	1.34 ± 0.29	1.13
V̇O2 (ml·kg^−1·min^−1)	22.5 ± 3.9	18.0 ± 3.1	1.28
V̇E (l· min^−1)	45.8 ± 9.5	34.2 ± 7.9	1.32
VT (l)	1.54 ± 0.47	1.35 ± 0.32	0.46
BF (breaths·min^−1)	32 ± 6	27 ± 7	0.76
HR (beats·min^−1)	137 ± 22	121 ± 20	0.78
EE (kJ·kg^−1·min^−1)	0.471 ± 0.081	0.377 ± 0.065	1.09