Effect Of Treadmill Walking Research Articles

The Effect of Treadmill Walking on Gait and Upper Trunk through Linear and Nonlinear Analysis Methods.

Treadmills are widely used to recover walking function in the rehabilitation field for those patients with gait disorders. Nevertheless, the ultimate goal of walking function recovery is to walk on the ground rather than on the treadmill. This study aims to determine the effect of treadmill walking on gait and upper trunk movement characteristics using wearable sensors. Eight healthy male subjects are recruited to perform 420-m straight overground walking (OW) and 5 min treadmill walking (TW), wearing 3 inertial measurement units and a pair of insole sensors. In addition to common linear features, nonlinear features, which contains sample entropy, maximal Lyapunov exponent and fractal dynamic of stride intervals (detrended fluctuation analysis), are used to compare the difference between TW and OW condition. Canonical correlation analysis is also used to indicate the correlation between upper trunk movement characteristics and gait features in the aspects of spatiotemporal parameters and gait dynamic features. The experimental results show that the treadmill can cause a shorter stride length, less stride time and worsen long-range correlation of stride intervals. And the treadmill can significantly increase the stability for both gait and upper trunk, while it can significantly reduce gait regularity during swing phase. Canonical correlation analysis results show that treadmill can reduce the correlation between gait and upper trunk features. One possible interpretation of these results is that people tend to walk more cautiously to prevent the risk of falling and neglect the coordination between gait and upper trunk when walking on the treadmill. This study can provide fundamental insightful information about the effect of treadmill walking on gait and upper trunk to support future similar studies.

Effect of Treadmill Walking on Leg Muscle Activation in Parkinson's Disease.

Treadmills are often used as rehabilitation devices to improve gait in Parkinson's disease (PD). Kinematic differences between treadmill and overground gait have been reported. However, electromyographic (EMG) patterns during treadmill and overground walking have not been systematically compared. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of treadmill gait on the magnitude of the EMG activity of the lower limb muscles in PD. We measured EMG activity of the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius medialis, vastus lateralis, and biceps femoris of nine individuals with PD and nine healthy matched controls. Comparisons between walking overground with walking on a treadmill and with walking with a treadmill simulator were carried out. The treadmill simulator is a device that simulates treadmill conditions with the exception of the belt. Our results have shown that treadmill walking is associated with several EMG differences compared with overground walking. The key finding of the study is that coactivation of the thigh muscles was significantly decreased (37%; p = 0.008) in PD subjects when walking on the treadmill in comparison with overground walking. The changes observed in the coactivation level may be related to the belt movement, since no changes were reported during walking with the treadmill simulator. Understanding the differences between treadmill and overground gait as well as the mechanisms that result in improvement of gait disturbances may optimize rehabilitative protocols for patients with PD.

The Effect of Treadmill Walking, Smartphone Use and School Work on Positive and Negative Affective States in College Students

Excessive internet-connected, cellular telephone (smartphone) use is associated with greater anxiety and lower quality of life in college students. However, the acute effect of a bout of smartphone use on positive and negative affect and how this may differ from other, common activities (i.e., low-intensity exercise, school work) in college students, has not been studied. PURPOSE: To compare the effects of separate bouts of smartphone use, treadmill walking, and school work on positive and negative affect in college students. METHODS: Forty one college students (n = 25 female, 21.7 ± 2.0 years old) completed four, 30-minute conditions (control, treadmill walking, smartphone, school work), on separate days, in a controlled, laboratory environment: 1) Control, participants were seated on a chair in a quiet room. 2) Walking, participants walked at 3.1 mph on a treadmill. 3) Smartphone, participants utilized their smartphones to interact with their personal social-media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). 4) School work, participants completed self-selected school work (e.g., studying). Participants completed the positive and negative affect scale pre- and post-condition. RESULTS: Analyses of variance revealed a significant (F = 22.3, p < 0.001) condition by time interaction for positive affect which significantly increased (t = 4.2, p < 0.001) from pre- to post-condition during walking (21.8 ± 8.4 pre, 27.4 ± 9.9 post), did not change (t = 1.2, p = 0.24) during school work (21.8 ± 7.7 pre, 23.0 ± 8.2 post) and significantly (t ≥ 3.7, p ≤ 0.001) decreased during both the smartphone (21.5 ± 8.1 pre, 17.2 ± 6.7 post) and control (19.8 ± 7.8 pre, 14.9 ± 5.8 post) conditions. There was also a significant (F = 15.6, p = 0.05) condition by time interaction for negative affect which significantly decreased (t = 2.3, p = 0.03) from pre- to post-condition during school work (13.4 ± 4.4 pre, 12.4 ± 4.1 post) and did not significantly change (t ≤ 1.6, p ≥ 0.11) for the remaining conditions (control: 12.5 ± 3.5 pre, 13.7 ± 4.1 post; walking: 12.3 ± 3.7 pre, 11.8 ± 2.7 post; smartphone: 12.5 ± 3.3 pre, 12.4 ± 2.6 post). CONCLUSION: Walking on a treadmill increased positive affect and school work decreased negative affect in college students. Conversely, a bout of smartphone use significantly decreased positive affect and did not reduce negative affect.

Effect of Treadmill Walking with Different Intensities on Coagulation Factors and Selected Cardiovascular Parameters in Mild Hypertensive Women

Background: No doubt that exercise plays an integral role in the protection against cardiovascular disorders, however decision for the proper exercise intensity may constitute the major challenging step in achieving that goal. Objective; to compare between the effect of different treadmill exercise intensities on selected cardiovascular parameters including; blood pressure , maximum and resting heart rate in addition to coagulation factors including; bleeding time, clotting time, prothrombin time, prothrombin concentration, and platelets count Subjects & Methods: Forty-five sedentary mild hypertensive women were recruited for the study their ages ranged from 30 to40 years old, subjects were divided into three study groups according to their exercise intensities: Group A (50%-65% of THR), B (65%-75% of THR) , and C (75% to 80% of THR) , they all participated in an exercise training program on treadmill for twenty minute three times per week for 12 successive weeks. Results: significant decrease in bleeding time, clotting time, in group (C) with significant increase in platelets count in the same group compared to group (A)&(B). For selected cardiovascular parameters, result showed significant reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both groups (A&B) compared to group (C) Conclusion: The walking exercises of low and moderate intensities have a positive effect on blood pressure

Effect of treadmill walking with ankle stretching orthosis on ankle flexibility and gait.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the kinematics of the ankle in the lunge to estabilish effectiveness of an ankle stretching orthosis (ASO) on the ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) of individuals with limited dorsiflexion ROM. [Subjects and Methods] Forty ankles with decreased dorsiflexion ROM of 20 participants were evaluated in this study. After wearing the ASO, participants walked on a treadmill for 15 minutes. Participants walked on the treadmill at a self-selected comfortable speed. Ankle dorsiflexion ROM, maximum dorsiflexion ROM before heel-off, and time to heel-off during the stance phase of gait were measured before and after 15 minutes of treadmill walking with the ASO. The differences in all variables between before and after treadmill walking with ASO were analyzed using the paired t-test. [Results] Ankle active and passive ROM, and dorsiflexion ROM during lunge increased significantly after treadmill walking with ASO. Treadmill walking with the ASO significantly increased the angle of maximal dorsiflexion before heel-off and time to heel-off during the stance phase. [Conclusion] The results of this study show that treadmill walking with the ASO effectively improved ankle flexibility and restored the normal gait pattern of the ankle joint by increasing dorsiflexion ROM, maximal angle of dorsiflexion, and time to heel-off in the stance phase.

Effect of Treadmill Walking on Oxidative Stress in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury and Able-Bodied Individuals

Effect of Treadmill Walking on Oxidative Stress in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury and Able-Bodied Individuals

Is There a "Hidden" Effect of Treadmill Walking on Step Characteristics, in Children With Cerebral Palsy and Typically Developed Controls?

Background: To examine the immediate effect of treadmill walking, on gait variability among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developed (TD) age matched controls. Methods : Eleven children with CP and sixteen TD controls participated in this study. Ages were 7 - 13 years. Step time and length variability were assessed by an electronic walkway prior to and after treadmill walking for six minutes. Results : When walking on level ground prior to the treadmill session children with CP walked with significantly increased step time and step time and length variability and significant reduced step length compared to the TD subjects. Treadmill walking reduced walking velocity, increased step time and decreased step length variability significantly among children with CP. Conclusions: Walking on a treadmill at a fixed gait velocity impact gait characteristics among children with CP, with possible advantageous effect on step length variability. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/jnr132w

Is There a "Hidden" Effect of Treadmill Walking on Step Characteristics, in Children With Cerebral Palsy and Typically Developed Controls?

Is There a "Hidden" Effect of Treadmill Walking on Step Characteristics, in Children With Cerebral Palsy and Typically Developed Controls?

The effect of treadmill walking on the stride interval dynamics of children

Treadmills are commonly implemented in rehabilitation and laboratory settings to facilitate gait analysis and training. However, while this locomotor modality is often used with children, its effect on pediatric stride interval dynamics is unknown. This study investigated the stride interval persistence of 30 asymptomatic children after completion of three to six 10-min walking trials comprised of: (i) overground walking (OW), (ii) unsupported treadmill walking (UTW), and (iii) handrail-supported treadmill walking (STW). The primary outcome measure was α, a quantifier of stride interval persistence obtained from detrended fluctuation analysis. Preferred walking speed, number of strides taken, stride interval duration, and stride interval coefficient of variation were also assessed. Stride interval persistence was significantly diminished during both treadmill walking conditions, compared to overground walking, with the largest decrease in α during UTW. Preferred speed, number of strides, and stride interval duration also differed between overground and treadmill walking, and older children demonstrated reduced stride interval variability compared to younger children. The observed treadmill and age effects on stride parameters may be due to a combination of differing locomotor constraints between overground and treadmill walking and developmental differences in sensory processing, cerebellar plasticity, and corticospinal involvement in locomotion.

The immediate effect of treadmill walking on step variability in boys with a history of severe traumatic brain injury and typically-developed controls

Objective: To examine the immediate effect of treadmill walking (i.e. enforced walking at a fixed gait velocity) on gait variability among children post-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and typically-developing (TD) age-matched controls.Methods: Twelve boys post-severe TBI and 18 TD boys participated in this study. Ages were 7–13 years. Step time and length variability were assessed by an electronic walkway prior to and after treadmill walking for 6 minutes.Results: Significantly reduced walking velocity and step length, with significantly increased step length variability were noted among children post-TBI compared to the TD subjects when walking on level ground prior to the treadmill. Treadmill walking reduced step length variability in TD children, while there was a slight increase in variability in children post-TBI (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Walking on a treadmill at a fixed gait velocity has a different effect on boys post-severe TBI and TD controls.

Effect of treadmill walking on the stride interval dynamics of human gait

Metronomic walking has been found to diminish the statistical persistence intrinsic to the stride interval time series of human gait. Since treadmill walking (TW) possesses a similar form of external pacing, we proposed to study the disruptions in the natural neuromuscular rhythms of gait during TW. Treadmill walking is a widespread rehabilitative tool, however, its effect on an individual’s stride dynamics is not well understood. To better elucidate potential effects, we tested the hypothesis that TW without handrails would diminish the statistical persistence in an individual’s stride interval time series. The scaling exponent ( α ) was employed in this study as a measure of the statistical persistence of the stride interval time series. Sixteen able-bodied young adults (mean age: 23.3 ± 3.3 years) were instructed to walk at a self-selected comfortable pace for 15 min in three different conditions in a randomized order: (1) overground walking, (2) TW without holding a handrail (NoRail) and (3) TW while holding a front handrail (Rail). The α did not differ significantly between the overground and NoRail conditions ( P > 0.5 ). However, the α of the Rail condition ( α = 0.92 ± 0.10 ) differed significantly from both the overground ( α = 0.83 ± 0.06 ; P < 0.015 ) and NoRail conditions ( α = 0.82 ± 0.08 ; P < 0.01 ). In contrast, stride interval variability did not change between walking conditions ( P > 0.5 ) . These findings indicate that comfortable-paced TW does not diminish the intrinsic stride dynamics of human gait.

Dynamic visual acuity using “far” and “near” targets

ConclusionsDVA may be useful for assessing the functional consequences of an impaired gaze stabilization mechanism or for testing the effectiveness of a rehabilitation paradigm. Because target distance influences the relative contributions of canal and otolith inputs, the ability to measure DVA at near and far viewing distances may also lead to tests that will independently assess canal and otolith function.ObjectiveTo present and test a methodology that uses dynamic visual acuity (DVA) to assess the efficacy of compensatory gaze mechanisms during a functionally relevant activity that differentially measures canal and otolith function.Material and methodsThe effect of treadmill walking at a velocity of 1.79 m/s on subjects’ visual acuity was assessed at each of two viewing distances. A custom-written threshold determination program was used to display Landolt C optotypes on a laptop computer screen during a “far” (4 m) target condition and on a micro-display for a “near” (50 cm) target condition. The walking acuity scores for each target distance were normalized by subtracting a corresponding acuity measure obtained while standing still on the treadmill belt.ResultsAs predicted by subjective reports of relative target motion, the decrease in visual acuity was significantly greater (p<0.00001) for the near compared to the far condition.