On level ground, cycling is more economical than running, which in turn is more economical than walking in the high speed range. This paper investigates whether this ranking still holds when moving on a gradient, where the three modes are expected to be mainly facing the same burden, i.e. to ...

Subjective perceptual methods have provided useful information in the laboratory about small differences in backpack design when physiological and biomechanical comparisons are ineffective, but have never been used in the field. This study therefore evaluated, in a controlled field trial with 10 male participants, the suitability of quantitative and qualitative ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of an ankle-foot orthosis on the gait and energy parameters of walking in chronic hemiparetic subjects. DESIGN: With/without group comparison. SETTING: Consecutive patients recruited from the gait analysis laboratory of our rehabilitation department. SUBJECTS: A group of nine chronic hemiparetic patients, with the same gait ...

The energy cost of walking (at 3.2 km x h(-1)) per unit distance (J x kg(-1) x m(-1)) at gradients of 0%, +7%, and +12% and during a progressive test (2% increase in gradient every 2 min), as well as the overall (aerobic plus anaerobic) net cumulative energy consumption and ...

In a recent paper it was claimed that in the majority (9/15) of subjects studied the soleus H-reflex increases progressively during the swing phase of walking. This pattern was at odds with our numerous observations made since 1986, as was the very large proportion of subjects reported to exhibit this ...

The relationships among walk steps, exercise habits and peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), ventilatory threshold (VT) and leg extension power (LEP) were examined in 709 apparently healthy Japanese subjects (male 372, female 337) aged 30-69 years. Walk steps were evaluated using a pedometer. VO2peak and VT were assessed by a cycle ...

The shuttle walk test (SWT) is a validated, incremental walking test for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but not for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The measurement of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) is considered to be the gold standard measurement of functional capacity. This study examines the relationship between IPF patients' ...

OBJECTIVE: To make a comparative study of energy expenditure and walking speeds between able-bodied people and young Intelligent Prosthesis (IP) users and to demonstrate the effect of IP on the walking ability of young amputees. DESIGN: The test subjects were eight young traumatic transfemoral amputees. Fourteen able-bodied persons served as ...

A novel apparatus, composed by a controllable treadmill, a computer, and an ultrasonic range finder, is here proposed to help investigation of many aspects of spontaneous locomotion. The acceleration or deceleration of the subject, detected by the sensor and processed by the computer, is used to accelerate or decelerate the ...

In COPD, several walking tests have been proposed to measure exercise tolerance but their relative merits are uncertain. We studied 57 moderate-to-severe, stable COPD patients (mean FEV1 35 +/- 12% predicted). Within a 2-month period, we compared reliability (inter-subject variability) and repeatability (intra-subject variability) of the most widely used 6-min ...

Gait initiation from toe-standing is common in patients with upper motor neurone (UMN) pathology as well as in able-bodied subjects during certain dance and athletic situations. It is unclear whether balance problems in patients who toe-walk are due to the underlying pathology, or due to initiating gait from toe-standing. The ...

The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of the physiological response that occurs while walking in water and on land at an exercise intensity based on the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in elderly men. Nine elderly men ranging from 66-70 years of age participated in this ...

PURPOSE: Venous hemodynamics evaluated during walking better reflect changes that occur under active physiologic conditions than do conventional static modes of exercise such as tip-toe exercise, knee bending, or dorsiflexion. We prospectively studied the efficacy of air-plethysmography (APG) in monitoring venous hemodynamics during ambulation, and with this method we determined ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the gait patterns of lower limb amputee patients walking with and without shoes and to identify differences in barefoot gait patterns when using different prosthetic feet. DESIGN: Optoelectronic three-dimensional motion analysis of gait was performed on six transtibial amputees using a solid ankle cushion heel foot and ...

BACKGROUND: Nutrition to the cells in the disc is partly dependent on fluid flowing out during the day and flowing in during bed rest. In spaceflight there are little or no such diurnal changes, since the gravitational load is essentially zero. HYPOTHESIS: The questions we asked were: 1) How much ...

The advanced stage of Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterised by complex movement disturbances including freezing. Because freezing is resistant to drug therapy, there has recently been renewed interest in non-pharmacological treatment programmes. In this study the effect of rotational stimulation on freezing was investigated. Eight patients with idiopathic PD and ...

To determine the effects of load carriage and walking speed on stride parameters and the coordination of trunk movements, 12 subjects walked on a treadmill at a range of walking speeds (0.6-1.6 m s(-1)) with and without a backpack containing 40% of their body mass. It was hypothesized that compared ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and effectiveness of long-term use of functional electrical stimulation (FES) for exercise, standing, and walking in individuals with paraplegia, using percutaneous intramuscular wire electrodes. DESIGN: Case study with more than 17 years of follow-up. SETTING: Institutional rehabilitation practice. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: Two long-term (17 years) volunteer ...

This study assessed the reliability of gait performance with concurrent measures of oxygen consumption (VO2) in stroke survivors (SS). Nine male SS (60.00 +/- 15.08 yr) had a recent history of stroke (44.56 +/- 51.35 days since the stroke) and were receiving rehabilitation. Four had a right cerebrovascular accident (CVA), ...

We reasoned that with an optimal aiding horizontal force, the reduction in metabolic rate would reflect the cost of generating propulsive forces during normal walking. Furthermore, the reductions in ankle extensor electromyographic (EMG) activity would indicate the propulsive muscle actions. We applied horizontal forces at the waist, ranging from 15% ...

In this study, we examined the effects of 1 and 2 h of brisk walking on post-prandial metabolism. Eleven pre-menopausal women participated in three oral fat tolerance tests with different pre-conditions: control (no exercise), 1 h walk (1 h of walking at 50% maximal oxygen uptake, VO2max, on the day ...

Reports in the rehabilitation literature suggest that patients with trans-femoral amputation ambulate well after suitable prosthetic treatment. The effects of exercise protocols on function, however, have not been documented in this population. This study was conducted to compare the outcome of traditional and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques on weight ...

We tested the hypotheses that the relationship between heart rate (fH) and the rate of oxygen consumption ((O(2))) differs between walking and flying in geese and that fH and (O(2)) have a U-shaped relationship with flight speed. We trained barnacle geese Branta leucopsis (mean mass 2.1 kg) and bar-headed geese ...

OBJECTIVE: Patients with endstage hip arthritis have poor ambulatory function. The aim of this study was to determine if perioperative exercise programs are well tolerated by these elderly patients and if a customized program can achieve an earlier recovery of normal ambulatory function after total hip arthroplasty. DESIGN: Twenty-eight subjects ...

Walking is the most common aerobic training modality utilized in cardiac rehabilitation programs. However, it remains unclear whether or not brisk walking is of a sufficient intensity to improve aerobic fitness in this population. In this study, we investigated whether men and women with coronary artery disease can achieve an ...

BACKGROUND: Brisk walking has been identified as an activity suited to meet American College of Sport Medicine/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for moderate intensity exercise (55-69% HR(max), 40-59% VO(2)R). However, little is known about whether recreational walkers self-select a pace which elicits this intensity and how they interpret ...

PURPOSE: To investigate the use of Tritrac accelerometers to measure energy expenditure (EE) of various activities for women in the field setting, as compared with portable indirect calorimetry. METHODS: Twenty women (age 20-29) performed a choreographed routine of six activities (walking, jogging, stair climbing, walking on an incline, stationary cycling, ...

This study compared the physiological responses (oxygen consumption and energy expenditure) of Nordic Walking to regular walking under field-testing conditions. Eleven women (M age = 27.1 years, SD = 6.4) and 11 men (M age = 33.8 years, SD = 9.0) walked 1,600 m with and without walking poles on ...

The purpose of the study was to examine the vertical ground reaction force component when approaching the gait transition point from either a walk-to-run or run-to-walk perspective. The vertical ground reaction forces (VGRF) of five steps before gait transitions for both walk-to-run and run-to-walk were collected on a motor driven ...

It has been reported that a small decrease in the strain in the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) occurs if the toe is raised during walking. Although walking on a slope appears similar to raising the toe, it is unclear whether uphill exercise decreases the strain in the SDFT. Because ...

The primary focus of this investigation was to determine whether differences exist between the preferred transition speed (PTS) and the energetically optimal transition speed (EOTS) in a group of adolescents. Ten 11-, ten 13-, and ten 15-year-olds completed four testing sessions. Following 30 min of accommodation to treadmill walking and ...

To assess the validity of accelerometry in measuring daily physical activity, the energy consumption calculated by accelerometry, with respiratory gas analysis as a reference, was evaluated in 45 non-athletes during various exercise tests. Subjects were required to (1) walk on a treadmill ergometer at various speeds, (2) walk on a ...

We have previously demonstrated that, even though chicks are very precocial and can locomote within hours of hatching, they require a period of time to develop a mature stable walk. As an example, 1- to 2-day-old animals move with disproportionately small stride lengths compared with 10- to 14-day-old animals. The ...

BACKGROUND: When an astronaut walks or runs on a treadmill in microgravity, a subject load device (SLD) is used to return him or her back to the treadmill belt. The gravity replacement load (GRL) in the SLD is transferred, via a harness, to the pelvis and/or the shoulders. This research ...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine the short-term effects of using a rollator on functional exercise capacity among individuals with COPD and to characterize which individuals benefit most from its use. DESIGN: Repeated-measures randomized crossover design using the 6-min walk test (6MWT) as the primary outcome measure. SETTING: ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of a task-specific home-based exercise protocol for improving sit-to-stand (STS), with additional exercises to strengthen lower limb extensor muscles in patients with chronic stroke. DESIGN: A pre-test, post-test design was used. SUBJECTS: Six subjects at least one year post stroke and discharged from ...

Ten subjects performed a horizontal pulling task with sudden release for three randomly allocated loads of 20, 40, and 60 N to examine the effect of sudden release load on centre of pressure (COP) motion and the response strategy with respect to load, and also to determine critical loads at ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The effects of different durations of rehabilitation sessions for the upper extremities (UEs) and lower extremities (LEs) on the recovery of interlimb coordination in hemiplegic gait in patients who have had a stroke were investigated. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifty-three subjects who had strokes involving their middle cerebral ...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Noninvasive intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) may improve exercise performance in COPD patients. It is not known whether this also applies to other patient groups such as those with restrictive respiratory diseases. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Regional center for assisted ventilation. SUBJECTS: Eight patients with severe congenital scoliosis. ...

Restoration of gait is a major goal in neurological rehabilitation. Before starting therapy, a comprehensive assessment is necessary to evaluate the deficits and remaining functions. A wide variety of therapeutic procedures are available and have to be adapted to the individual situation - different concepts of physiotherapy stress different features ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the energy expenditure and subjective comfort rating of walking in transtibial amputee patients using their prosthesis fitted either with or without a tele-torsion device (TT Pylon). DESIGN: Randomized, before-after trial. SETTING: Gait laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Six men, moderately active, with unilateral transtibial amputation (mean age, 39.5 +/- 9.9y). ...

BACKGROUND: In patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) stage II, exercise training seems to be important to reduce symptoms and improve functional capacity. We evaluated the effects of an out-patient treatment program on walking distance (standardized treadmill testing), training exercise capacity, and disease specific quality of life (PAVK-86 questionnaire). ...

This study explored whether preoperative activity, anesthesia, or analgesia influence early postoperative walking after total hip replacement (THR). Data were collected as part of a randomized intervention study of standard or augmented postoperative activity and its influence on wound healing. More than half of all subjects did not exercise regularly. ...

This study was undertaken to explore the nature of impaired postural stability following physical exercise. Nine healthy subjects (aged 24 +/- 3 years) were subjected to 30 min of treadmill walking or running on two separate occasions. Walking and running speeds (1.9 to 2.2 m/s) were chosen to induce equal ...

BACKGROUND: There is a concern that comorbidity or frailty in older people could limit the usefulness of currently available exercise tests for chronic lung disease. This study evaluated the feasibility and reproducibility of the incremental shuttle walking test (SWT) in people aged 70 years or over, compared exercise tolerance with ...

A prospective study was performed to evaluate the gait training of seven consecutive spinal cord injured patients and 10 controls on a treadmill using instrumented gait analysis and video documentation. To determine whether it is possible to maintain gait motion within physiological limits during treadmill training. Primary and secondary care ...

We developed a Virtual Reality Driving Simulator in order to safely evaluate and improve the driving ability of the handicapped. The Virtual Environment consists of 18 sections (e.g. a speed limited road, a strait road, a curved road, a left turn course, etc) and each section is linked naturally. For ...

Clinical exercise testing is increasingly being utilized in clinical practice because of the valuable, often unique information that it provides in patient diagnosis and management. This is also due to a growing awareness that resting cardiopulmonary measurements provide an unreliable estimate of functional capacity. A continuum of exercise testing modalities ...

The six-minute walking test (6MWT) has been widely utilized to evaluate global exercise capacity in patients with cystic fibrosis. The aim of this study was to assess the exercise capacity by 6MWT, measuring four outcome measures: walk distance, oxygensaturation and pulse rate during the walk, and breathlessness perception after the ...

Swimmeret beating was monitored in freely moving specimens of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii as they exhibited defense turn responses to tactile stimuli. Analysis of videotape records revealed alterations in swimmeret beating during turning responses compared to straight, forward walking. During turns, swimmerets beat with shorter periods and smaller amplitude power ...