Issn Print: 0195-9131
Publication Date: 2001/05/01
METABOLIC AND BIOMECHANIC RESPONSES DURING TREADMILL WALKING AT VARIOUS GRADES IN MEN AND WOMEN
E C. Chaloupka; J Kang; A M. Mastrangelo; J R. Hoffman
+ Author Information
Author Information: The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ and Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
Excerpt
The purpose of this investigation was to examine gender differences in metabolic and biomechanic responses during treadmill walking at various grades. Eleven men (M) and 11 women (W) of college-age were recruited as subjects. Each subject performed 4 experimental trials and each trial consisted of 10-min of treadmill walking of constant speed (1.34 ms−1) at a grade of 0%, 5%, 10% or 15%. During each exercise, a steady-state oxygen uptake (VO2) was measured with indirect calorimetry. In addition, each subject was taped for 3 walking cycles so that sagittal kinematics including stride frequency (SF), angular displacement (DIS) and angular acceleration (ACC) were analyzed using a motion analysis system. VO2 in ml/kg/min during walking at 0% and 5% was similar between M and W, but was greater (p < 0.05) during walking at 10% and 15% in W than M. SF remained unchanged in M, but decreased (p < 0.05) as the grade increased in W. Both DIS and ACC at the shoulder remained unchanged in M, but increased (p < 0.05) as the grade increased in W. DIS at the hip increased (p < 0.05) as the grade increased in both M and W. While ACC at the hip also increased (p < 0.05) as the grade increased in both M and W, the increase was greater (p < 0.05) in W than M during walking at 15%. In conclusion, the relative metabolic cost of treadmill walking at a high grade is greater in women as compared to men. Such an increase in metabolic cost may be attributable to an increased stride frequency in conjunction with a greater movement of upper limbs.
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