Background Hiking is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the alpine region. However, besides its health benefits, hiking is the alpine activity with the highest incidence of cardiac events. Most incidents occur due to overexertion or underestimation of the physiological strain of hiking. Objective This project will establish a standardized cardio trekking test trail to evaluate the exercise capacity of tourists within hiking areas and deliver a tool for the prevention of hiking-associated cardiac incidents. Further, individual exercise intensity for a hiking tour will be predicted and visualized in digital maps. Methods This cooperation study between Austria and Germany will first validate a 1-km outdoor cardio trekking test trail at 2 different study sites. Then, exercise intensity measures on 8-km hiking trails will be evaluated during hiking to estimate overall hiking intensity. A total of 144 healthy adults (aged >45 years) will perform a treadmill test in the laboratory and a 1-km hiking test outdoors. They will wear a portable spirometry device that measures gas exchange, as well as heart rate, walking speed, ventilation, GPS location, and altitude throughout the tests. Estimation models for exercise capacity based on measured parameters will be calculated. Results The project “Connect2Move” was funded in December 2019 by the European Regional Development Fund (INTERREG V-A Programme Austria-Bavaria – 2014-2020; Project Number AB296). “Connect2Move” started in January 2020 and runs until the end of June 2022. By the end of April 2022, 162 participants were tested in the laboratory, and of these, 144 were tested outdoors. The data analysis will be completed by the end of June 2022, and results are expected to be published by the end of 2022. Conclusions Individual prediction of exercise capacity in healthy individuals with interest in hiking aims at the prevention of hiking-associated cardiovascular events caused by overexertion. Integration of a mathematical equation into existing hiking apps will allow individual hiking route recommendations derived from individual performance on a standardized cardio trekking test trail. Trial Registration ClinicalTrails.gov NCT05226806; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05226806 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/39038

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Background: Borg’s rating of perceived exertion (BRPE) scale is a simple, but subjective tool to grade physical strain during exercise. As a result, it is widely used for the prescription of exercise intensity, especially for cardiovascular disease prevention. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare relationships between BRPE and physiological measures of exercise intensity during uphill walking indoors and outdoors. Methods: 134 healthy participants [median age: 56 years (IQR 52–63)] completed a maximal graded walking test indoors on a treadmill using the modified Bruce protocol, and a submaximal 1 km outdoor uphill cardio-trekking test (1 km CTT). Heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (V̇O2) were continuously measured throughout both tests. BRPE was simultaneously assessed at the end of each increment on the treadmill, while the maximal BRPE value was noted at the end of the 1 km CTT. Results: On the treadmill, BRPE correlated very high with relative HR (%HRmax) (ρ = 0.88, p < 0.001) and V̇O2 (%V̇O2max) (ρ = 0.89, p < 0.001). During the 1 km CTT, a small correlation between BRPE and %HRmax (ρ = 0.24, p < 0.05), respectively %V̇O2max was found (ρ = 0.24, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Criterion validity of BRPE during uphill walking depends on the environment and is higher during a treadmill test compared to a natural environment. Adding sensor-based, objective exercise-intensity parameters such as HR holds promise to improve intensity prescription and health safety during uphill walking in a natural environment.

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BACKGROUND Hiking is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the alpine region. However, besides all the health benefits, hiking is also the alpine activity with the highest incidence of cardiac events. Most incidents occur due to overexertion and/or underestimation of the physiological strain of hiking. OBJECTIVE The present project will establish a standardized cardio trekking test trail, to evaluate the exercise capacity of tourists within hiking areas, to deliver a tool for prevention of hiking associated incidence. Further, individual exercise intensity for a hiking tour will be predicted and visualized in digital maps. METHODS This cooperation study between Austria and Germany will, firstly validate a 1 km outdoor cardio trekking test trail at two different study sites. Secondly, exercise intensity measures on 8 km hiking trails will be performed during hiking, to estimate overall hiking intensity. Therefore, 144 healthy adults (> 45 years) will perform a treadmill test in the laboratory and a 1 km hiking test outdoors, wearing a portable spirometry device, which measures apart from gas exchange also heart rate, walking speed, ventilation, GPS location and altitude throughout the tests. Estimation models for exercise capacity based on measured parameters will be calculated. RESULTS The project “Connect2Move” was funded in December/2019 by the European Regional Development Fund "INTERREG V-A Programme Austria-Bavaria – 2014-2020 -Project Number AB296. “Connect2Move” started in January 2020 and runs until end of June 2022. By the end of April 2022, 162 participants have been tested in the laboratory and of out those 144 outdoors. The data analysis is currently underway and results will be expected to be published by end of 2022. CONCLUSIONS Individual prediction of exercise capacity in healthy individuals with interest in hiking, aims at the prevention of hiking associated cardiovascular events caused by overexertion. Integration of a mathematical equation into existing hiking apps will allow individual hiking route recommendations derived from the individual performance on a standardized cardio trekking test trail. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrails.gov (NCT05226806)