Search results for " speed"
showing 10 items of 641 documents
In vivo fascicle behavior of the flexor hallucis longus muscle at different walking speeds.
2017
Ankle plantar flexor muscles support and propel the body in the stance phase of locomotion. Besides the triceps surae, flexor hallucis longus muscle (FHL) may also contribute to this role, but very few in vivo studies have examined FHL function during walking. Here, we investigated FHL fascicle behavior at different walking speeds. Ten healthy males walked overground at three different speeds while FHL fascicle length changes were recorded with ultrasound and muscle activity was recorded with surface electromyography (EMG). Fascicle length at heel strike at toe off and at peak EMG activity did not change with speed. Range of FHL fascicle length change (3.5-4.5 and 1.9-2.9 mm on average in s…
EMG and force production of the flexor hallucis longus muscle in isometric plantarflexion and the push-off phase of walking
2015
Large forces are generated under the big toe in the push-off phase of walking. The largest flexor muscle of the big toe is the flexor hallucis longus (FHL), which likely contributes substantially to these forces. This study examined FHL function at different levels of isometric plantarflexion torque and in the push-off phase at different speeds of walking. FHL and calf muscle activity were measured with surface EMG and plantar pressure was recorded with pressure insoles. FHL activity was compared to the activity of the calf muscles. Force and impulse values were calculated under the big toe, and were compared to the entire pressed area of the insole to determine the relative contribution of…
Variability of the Dynamic Stiffness of Foot Joints: Effect of Gait Speed
2019
Background:Comparison of dynamic stiffness of foot joints was previously proposed to investigate pathologic situations with changes in the properties of muscle and passive structures. Samples must be controlled to reduce the variability within groups being compared, which may arise from different sources, such as gait speed or Foot Posture Index (FPI).Methods:Variability in the measurement of the dynamic stiffness of ankle, midtarsal, and metatarsophalangeal joints was studied in a controlled sample of healthy men with normal FPI, and the effect of gait speed was analyzed. In experiment 1, dynamic stiffnesses were obtained in three sessions, five trials per session, for each participant, ta…
Manual motor speed dysfunction as a neurocognitive endophenotype in euthymic bipolar disorder patients and their healthy relatives. Evidence from a 5…
2017
Background: Few studies have examined Manual Motor Speed (MMS) in bipolar disorder (BD). The aim of this longitudinal, family study was to explore whether dysfunctional MMS represents a neurocognitive endophenotype of BD. Methods: A sample of 291 subjects, including 131 BD patients, 77 healthy first-degree relatives (BD-Rel), and 83 genetically-unrelated healthy controls (HC), was assessed with the Finger-Tapping Test (En) on three occasions over a 5-year period. Dependence of FTT on participants' age was removed by means of a lineal model of HC samples, while correcting simultaneously the time and learning effect. Differences between groups were evaluated with an ANOVA test. Results: The p…
Nordic walking practice might improve plantar pressure distribution.
2012
Nordic walking (NW), characterized by the use of two walking poles, is becoming increasingly popular (Morgulec-Adamowicz, Marszalek, & Jagustyn, 2011). We studied walking pressure patterns of 20 experienced and 30 beginner Nordic walkers. Plantar pressures from nine foot zones were measured during trials performed at two walking speeds (preferred and 20% faster), and under two walking conditions (NW vs. normal walking). In comparison to normal walking, NW experience led to a significant (p < .05) pressure reduction of about 50% on the central metatarsals. No significant increases were detected in other foot regions. The differences between experienced and beginners during normal walking inc…
Differences in contractile behaviour between the soleus and medial gastrocnemius muscles during human walking
2012
The functional roles of individual lower limb muscles during human walking may differ depending on walking speed or duration. In this study, 11 volunteers walked on a treadmill for 60 min at speeds corresponding to both optimal and 20% above optimal energetic cost of transport whilst oxygen consumption and medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus fascicle lengths were measured. Although energetic cost of transport was ∼12% higher at the faster speed, it remained constant over 60 min at both speeds, suggesting that humans can walk for prolonged periods at a range of speeds without compromising energetic efficiency. The fascicles of both muscles exhibited rather ‘isometric’ behaviour during the e…
The Role of Vitamin D in Early Knee Osteoarthritis and Its Relationship with Their Physical and Psychological Status
2021
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint condition and one of the greatest causes of disability worldwide. The role of vitamin D in the origin and development of the disease is not clear, although it could have important implications for diagnosis and treatment. For this proposal, a cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sample was performed. In total, 48 with early osteoarthritis (EOA) and 48 matched controls were selected, and serum 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were analyzed. In addition, physical and psychological variables were measured to establish their relationship with vitamin D levels. Patients with EOA showed lower levels (22.3 ± 7.3 ng/mL) in comparison to ma…
Evidence for the effectiveness of walking training on walking and self-care after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control…
2014
Objective: To examine the effect of randomized controlled trials of walking training on walking and self-care in patients with stroke. Data sources: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro, OTSeeker, Central, and manual search to the end of August 2012. Study selection: English, Finnish, Swedish, or German language walking training randomized controlled trials for patients over 18 years of age with stroke. Data synthesis: The meta-analyses included 38 randomized controlled trials from 44 reports. There was high evidence that in the subacute stage of stroke, specific walking training resulted in improved walking speed and distance compared with traditional walking training of the same intensity. In t…
The reliability of measuring medial gastrocnemius muscle-tendon unit lengths during gait
2021
Background Ultrasound imaging combined with 3D motion analysis allows for in-vivo assessment of muscle-tendon unit lengths during gait. The clinical relevance of analysing the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and Achilles muscle-tendon junction (MTJ), MG mid-muscle belly fascicles (FAS) and muscle thickness was shown. However, their reliability error estimations over the gait cycle is unknown. Research question What are the intra- and inter-session errors associated with extracting MG belly, thickness, FAS and tendon lengths using ultrasound during gait in healthy participants? Methods 3D gait analysis was carried out in ten healthy adults as they walked on an instrumented treadmill at a comfortab…
Assessment of maximal handgrip strength: How many attempts are needed?
2017
BACKGROUND: Handgrip strength (HGS) is used to identify individuals with low muscle strength (dynapenia). The influence of the number of attempts on maximal HGS is not yet known and may differ depending on age and health status. This study aimed to assess how many attempts of HGS are required to obtain maximal HGS.METHODS: Three cohorts (939 individuals) differing in age and health status were included. HGS was assessed three times and explored as continuous and dichotomous variable. Paired t-test, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis were used to test reproducibility of HGS. The number of individuals with misclassified dynapenia at attempts 1 and 2 with respe…