Kinematic, kinetic and metabolic parameters of treadmill versus overground walking in healthy older adults.

BACKGROUND Although treadmill and overground walking appear to be biomechanically similar in healthy, young adults it is not known whether this can be generalized to older subjects or if the metabolic demands are correspondingly comparable. METHODS Ten healthy adults between 50 and 73 years of age walked at the same speed overground and on a treadmill. Temporal parameters, angular kinematics and vertical ground reaction forces were recorded during walking once subjects were in steady state as determined from their heart rate and oxygen uptake. FINDINGS Step, stride and joint angular kinematics were similar for both modes of walking with the exception of the maximum hip flexion and knee extension which were more pronounced with treadmill or overground walking, respectively but in both instances differed by less than 3 degrees. Vertical ground reaction force profiles were similar although the peak associated with push-off was 5.5% smaller with treadmill walking. The metabolic requirements of treadmill walking were about 23% higher than that associated with overground walking. INTERPRETATION While treadmill and overground walking are biomechanically similar, the metabolic cost of treadmill walking is higher. Clinically this may be important when using a treadmill for gait retraining in patient populations as it may lead to premature fatigue or undesirable physiologic challenge.

[1]  A. Young,et al.  Treadmill Walking in Old Age May Not Reproduce the Real Life Situation , 1993, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[2]  J. Hidler,et al.  Biomechanics of overground vs. treadmill walking in healthy individuals. , 2008, Journal of applied physiology.

[3]  D. Sternad,et al.  Local dynamic stability versus kinematic variability of continuous overground and treadmill walking. , 2001, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[4]  O. Payton,et al.  Electromyographic evidence of the acquisition of a motor skill. A pilot study. , 1972, Physical therapy.

[5]  D. Gordon E. Robertson,et al.  Research Methods in Biomechanics , 2004 .

[6]  G. J. van Ingen Schenau,et al.  Some fundamental aspects of the biomechanics of overground versus treadmill locomotion , 1980 .

[7]  N Taylor,et al.  Knee joint kinematics from familiarised treadmill walking can be generalised to overground walking in young unimpaired subjects. , 2000, Gait & posture.

[8]  Gerald V. Smith,et al.  Hemiparetic Gait Parameters in Overground Versus Treadmill Walking , 2001, Neurorehabilitation and neural repair.

[9]  Jill Whitall,et al.  Improved Hemiparetic Muscle Activation in Treadmill versus Overground Walking , 2004, Neurorehabilitation and neural repair.

[10]  G. Deuschl,et al.  Gait analysis during treadmill and overground locomotion in children and adults. , 1997, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[11]  N. Hogan Adaptive control of mechanical impedance by coactivation of antagonist muscles , 1984 .

[12]  Nicholas F Taylor,et al.  Familiarisation to treadmill walking in unimpaired older people. , 2005, Gait & posture.

[13]  H J Yack,et al.  Comparison of vertical ground reaction forces during overground and treadmill walking. , 1998, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[14]  F. Alton,et al.  A kinematic comparison of overground and treadmill walking. , 1998, Clinical biomechanics.

[15]  U. Croce,et al.  A kinematic and kinetic comparison of overground and treadmill walking in healthy subjects. , 2007, Gait & posture.

[16]  T. Warabi,et al.  Treadmill walking and overground walking of human subjects compared by recording sole-floor reaction force , 2005, Neuroscience Research.

[17]  Murray Mp,et al.  Treadmill vs. floor walking: kinematics, electromyogram, and heart rate. , 1985, Journal of applied physiology.

[18]  T. M. Owings,et al.  Step width variability, but not step length variability or step time variability, discriminates gait of healthy young and older adults during treadmill locomotion. , 2004, Journal of biomechanics.

[19]  R. Brand,et al.  The biomechanics and motor control of human gait: Normal, elderly, and pathological , 1992 .

[20]  M. Pearce,et al.  Energy cost of treadmill and floor walking at self-selected paces , 2004, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.