Associate Professor Noboru Chiba (Department of Occupational Therapy) and colleagues published an article in Cureus titled “Kyphotic Posture Reduces Respiratory Efficiency During Walking and Running.”

This study examined the acute effects of a simulated kyphotic posture on ventilatory efficiency during treadmill exercise in healthy young men (n = 10). Participants completed quiet standing, walking at 4 km/h, and running at 10 km/h under two postural conditions (kyphotic vs. neutral). Spinal curvature was quantified using 3D motion capture, and breath-by-breath gas exchange was measured to assess VO₂, VCO₂, respiratory rate, end-tidal CO₂, and related ventilatory variables.

The kyphotic posture increased thoracic flexion across all tasks and was associated with indicators of a greater ventilatory demand. At rest, respiratory rate and end-tidal CO₂ were higher, suggesting reduced ventilatory efficiency. During walking, the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was higher in the kyphotic condition. During running, kyphotic posture resulted in higher VCO₂ and RER despite similar VO₂ between postures.

These findings suggest that even transient kyphotic alignment may impair respiratory efficiency during dynamic exercise, highlighting the potential value of posture-focused strategies in both performance and rehabilitation settings.

Article information
Journal: Cureus
Authors: Noboru Chiba; Tadayoshi Minamisawa; Yuka Matsuda; Toshihiko Fujimoto
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.93367
Published: 27 Sep 2025 (Cureus 17(9): e93367)