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Abstract
Muscle–tendon power output is commonly assessed in the laboratory through the work loop, a paired analysis of muscle force and length during a cyclic task. Work-loop analysis of muscle–tendon function in out-of-lab conditions has been elusive due to methodological limitations. In this work, we combined kinetic and kinematic measures from shear wave tensiometry and inertial measurement units, respectively, to establish a wearable system for estimating work and power output from the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles during outdoor locomotion. Across 11 healthy young adults, we amassed 4777 strides of walking on slopes from −10° to +10°. Results showed that soleus work scales with incline, while gastrocnemius work is relatively insensitive to incline. These findings agree with previous results from laboratory-based studies while expanding technological capabilities by enabling wearable analysis of muscle–tendon kinetics. Applying this system in additional settings and activities could improve biomechanical knowledge and evaluation of protocols in scenarios such as rehabilitation, device design, athletics, and military training.
Highlights
The study of biomechanics is often conducted with the purpose of understanding human movement as it pertains to everyday life
We investigated stride-by-stride triceps surae work production during outdoor walking on a course with varying slope
This study introduces a wearable system of inertial measurement units (IMUs) and tensiometry to characterize triceps surae kinematics, kinetics, and work production during sloped walking outdoors
Summary
The study of biomechanics is often conducted with the purpose of understanding human movement as it pertains to everyday life In pursuit of this knowledge, it is of value to study individuals in an array of activities that reflect their daily tasks or athletic engagements outside of the laboratory environment. While certain tasks such as treadmill walking or jumping may be readily tested and analyzed in a motion capture space, others are more difficult to replicate [1]. We introduced wearable shear wave tensiometry that enables the measurement of tendon loads during dynamic activity [22] These technologies have provided valuable types of information regarding unconstrained human movement. Wearable kinematic sensors yield clinically relevant values such as passive or active range of motion, and tensiometry can be used to measure muscle loading and assess muscular contributions to joint mechanics [22]
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