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Background: Currently, it is not known how much walking should be advocated for good health in an adolescent population. Step count recommendations for minimum time in moderate-intensity activity have been translated predominantly from treadmill walking. Purpose: To compare the energy cost of walking on a treadmill with overground walking in adolescent girls. Methods: A total of 26 adolescent girls undertook resting metabolic measurements for individual determination of 1 metabolic equivalent using indirect calorimetry. Energy expenditure was subsequently assessed during treadmill and overground walking at slow, moderate, and fast walking speeds for 4 to 6 minutes. Treadmill step rates were matched overground using a metronome. Results: The energy cost of treadmill walking was found to be significantly greater than and not equivalent to overground walking at 133 steps per minute; (equivalent to the fast walking pace):
MacDonald is with the Department of Sport & Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom. Fawkner and Niven are with the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, Institute for Sport, Physical Education & Health Sciences, Moray House School of Education, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Rowe was previously with the School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.