The effects of uphill and downhill walking on pelvic oscillations in the transverse plane.

Pelvic rotation in the transverse plane is an energy-conserving mechanism employed during normal human locomotion. This mechanism functions to increase stride length and thereby decrease the cadence. It has been suggested (Ducroquet et al. 1968) that the mechanism of pelvic rotation is lost during the metabolically expensive exercise of ascending or descending slopes. Fourteen healthy young adults were walked on a treadmill at five grades from 20% downhill to 20% uphill. Pelvic rotations in the transverse plane were measured. The results show that pelvic rotation is not substantially affected during uphill and downhill walking over the range of grades studied.