Lance Silverman, MD - Phoenix Foot & Ankle Surgeon

Foot & Ankle Surgeon in Scottsdale, AZ

Heavy Hiking Backpacks Linked To Increased Foot Injury Risk

hiking foot painArizona has some of the most scenic hiking trails in the country, but given the terrain and the temperatures you may face, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to bring along a well-equipped backpack on your hike. According to new research, if you put too much weight in that backpack, you may be increasing your risk of a foot injury. We take a closer look at the study and explain how heavy your hiking backpack should be in today’s blog.

Hiking Backpack Weight And Foot Injury Risk

You never want to find yourself unprepared for the Arizona wilderness, so it can be tempting to throw anything you might possibly need in your hiking backpack before you set off on foot. You may not assume that the heavy backpack is doing much harm to your health, but a new study published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology sought answers about the health risks associated with heavier backpacks. According to the team, their results suggest that your hiking backpack should be no more than 10% of your body weight. This means that if you weigh 190 pounds, your backpack should weigh no more than 19 pounds, otherwise your risk of a foot injury increases.

For the study, researchers recruited 39 recreational hikers staying at a hostel on a long-distance network of hiking trails in western Europe. Each hiker had walked at least 12.5 miles during the previous 24 hours and carried a pack during that time. Researchers measured participants’ plantar pressure – the pressure exerted by their feet onto the ground – using a device designed to detect and collect foot pressure.

Participants stood and walked on a specialized platform under four conditions:

  • Without a backpack
  • Wearing the backpack they were carrying on the trail
  • Wearing a backpack loaded with 10% of their body weight
  • Wearing a backpack with 20% of their body weight
“The key finding is very simple: once backpack load reaches around ten percent of body weight, we begin to detect significant changes in how pressure is transmitted through the foot,” said Santi García-Cremades, PhD, and researcher involved in the study. “As backpack weight increased, plantar pressure increased progressively, particularly in the heel. At a 20 percent body-weight load, total static plantar pressure was almost ten percent higher than when carrying no backpack.”

According to the team, extra pressure from wearing a backpack that is too heavy can contribute to a variety of foot injuries, including:

  • Ankle/Foot tendinitis
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Arch pain
  • Stress fractures
  • Foot ulcers
  • Overstress injuries

Researchers were quick to note that the study did not evaluate patients walking on inclines, which is a common terrain feature when hiking out in nature, because terrain inclines and slopes can amplify stress on the feet, it’s possible that the injury risk could be even higher on the trails. The team recommends packing at or underneath this rule of 10% of your body weight, ensuring your feet are in a protective and supportive hiking shoe and that you give your feet enough rest to recover from the rigors of an exhausting hike before subjecting them to more stress.

If you’re dealing with a hiking injury or want to overcome symptoms that are keeping you off the trails, connect with Dr. Silverman and the team at OrthoArizona today at (602) 648-5444.

Pima Center Clinic

8405 North Pima Center Parkway
Suite 101
Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Arcadia Clinic

3033 North 44th Street
Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85018

High Street Clinic

5355 East High Street
Suite 113
Phoenix, AZ 85054

Dr. Silverman provides orthopedic ankle and foot care throughout Arizona, including the cities of: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Pima Center, Arcadia, High Street, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, and more!

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