Kyphotic Posture Reduces Respiratory Efficiency During Walking and Running

A transient, simulated kyphotic posture was associated with a small but consistent increase in ventilatory burden during dynamic exercise in healthy young men, reflected by higher ETCO₂ at rest, higher RER during walking and running, and higher VCO₂ during running, despite similar VO₂. These preliminary findings warrant confirmation in larger, sex- and age-diverse cohorts, including individuals with structural kyphosis.