How Trekking Poles Change Your Calorie Burn

Trekking poles do not save energy on uphills. They increase your calorie burn by 10-20% depending on grade and technique. Most hikers assume poles make the work easier — the research says the opposite.

What the Research Shows

The metabolic cost of trekking poles depends on two factors: how steep the terrain is and how actively you use the poles.

On flat ground, poles have almost no effect on energy expenditure. Howatson et al. (2011) measured oxygen consumption during level walking with and without poles and found no significant difference in metabolic cost. The poles are moving, but they are not adding meaningful work on flat terrain.

Uphill is where things change. Saunders et al. (2008) found that trekking poles increase metabolic cost by approximately 10% during uphill hiking. The arms, shoulders, and trunk are doing real work — pushing against the ground with each plant — and that work costs energy. Hansen et al. (2017) measured an even larger effect on steep grades, reporting a 20% increase in energy expenditure when hikers used an active pole technique on steep terrain.

The critical variable is technique. Perrey and Fabre (2008) compared passive pole use (poles planted but with minimal push) to active pole use (deliberate arm drive and push-off) and found that the active technique increased metabolic cost by 18%. If you are just carrying your poles and tapping them on the ground, the calorie effect is minimal. If you are driving them into the ground and pushing off, you are doing substantially more work.

Grade vs Technique vs Calorie Effect

Grade	Technique	Calorie Modifier	Source
Flat (0%)	Any	+0% (no significant change)	Howatson et al. 2011
Moderate (5-10%)	Passive	+5-10%	Saunders et al. 2008
Moderate (5-10%)	Active	+10-18%	Perrey & Fabre 2008
Steep (>15%)	Passive	+10%	Saunders et al. 2008
Steep (>15%)	Active	+15-20%	Hansen et al. 2017

The pattern is clear: steeper grade and more active technique both increase the metabolic cost of using poles.

Passive vs Active Pole Technique

Passive technique means the poles are planted during each stride but with minimal upper-body effort. The poles provide balance and reduce impact on the knees, but the arms are not generating significant propulsive force. This is how most recreational hikers use poles.

Active technique means deliberate arm drive — the pole is planted ahead, and the hiker pushes down and back through each stride cycle. The triceps, deltoids, latissimus dorsi, and core are all engaged. This is the technique used in Nordic walking and by trained mountaineers on steep ascents.

The calorie difference between passive and active technique can be 10 percentage points or more. Two hikers on the same trail with the same poles can have meaningfully different energy expenditure based purely on how they use those poles.

How Hiko Calculates Pole Effect

Hiko applies a PoleModifier as a post-multiplier on the LCDA equation output. The modifier scales with grade — no effect on flat terrain, increasing effect as the slope steepens. When you enable trekking poles in Hiko, the app adjusts your calorie calculation every second based on your current grade from GPS elevation data.

This is the same approach Hiko uses for terrain coefficients: a validated, research-backed modifier applied in real time rather than a static MET lookup.

Why Generic Apps Miss This

MET-based calorie calculators assign a single value to “hiking” or “walking with poles.” They do not account for grade-dependent effects, technique differences, or the interaction between poles and terrain. A MET table treats a flat sidewalk pole walk and a steep mountain ascent with active technique as the same activity. The actual metabolic difference between those two scenarios is over 20%. Hiko captures this because the LCDA equation with pole modifiers was built for exactly this kind of variable-by-variable precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do trekking poles save energy while hiking?

No. On flat ground, poles have no significant effect on energy expenditure (Howatson et al. 2011). On uphills, poles increase calorie burn by 10-20% because the upper body is doing additional work (Saunders et al. 2008, Hansen et al. 2017). Poles do reduce impact forces on the knees and improve balance, but they do not reduce the total metabolic cost of hiking.

How much do trekking poles increase calorie burn?

Between 10% and 20% on uphill terrain, depending on grade and technique. Steeper grades and more active pole use both increase the effect. On flat terrain the increase is negligible. Hiko applies this modifier automatically based on your real-time grade.

What is the difference between passive and active pole technique?

Passive technique means planting the poles with minimal arm effort — mainly for balance and knee protection. Active technique means driving the poles into the ground and pushing off with each stride, engaging the arms, shoulders, and core. Perrey and Fabre (2008) found active technique increases metabolic cost by 18% compared to no poles, while passive technique has a much smaller effect.

Does Hiko track trekking pole usage?

Yes. Toggle trekking poles on in the Hiko workout screen and the app applies a grade-dependent PoleModifier to your calorie calculation in real time. The modifier is based on the peer-reviewed research cited above and scales with your current slope — no effect on flat sections, increasing effect as grade increases.

Should I use poles if I want to burn more calories?

If you are hiking uphill and use an active technique, poles will increase your calorie burn by up to 20%. If you are walking on flat ground, poles will not make a meaningful difference to energy expenditure. The primary decision to use poles should be based on terrain, joint protection, and balance — the calorie increase is a measurable side effect, not usually the primary reason to carry them.