Influence of walking speed on lower limb muscle activity and energy consumption during treadmill walking of hemiparetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the relationship between treadmill speed and energy consumption and lower limb muscle activity in ambulatory hemiparetic patients.


METHODS
Experimental cohort.


METHODS
Inpatient rehabilitation clinic.


METHODS
Twenty-four ambulatory hemiparetic subjects.


METHODS
Subjects walked harness-secured on the treadmill with no body-weight support at self-reported (V SAS), slow (V SAS - 25%), and fast (V SAS + 25%) speed.


METHODS
Assessment of basic, limb-dependent cycle parameters, lower limb muscle activity, and energy consumption.


RESULTS
Cadence (r = .75), stride length (r = .78), relative double-support duration (r = .31), mean muscle activity of the paretic tibialis anterior (r = .12), gastrocnemius (r = .37), vastus lateralis (r =.19), rectus femoris (r = .31), and biceps femoris (r = .45) muscles, as well as heart rate (r = .54), correlated positively with treadmill speed. Mean maximum heart rate was 131 beats/min. Energy (r = -.67) and cardiac cost (r = -.55) correlated negatively with gait speed (ie, patients walked more efficiently at faster velocities). The qualitative muscle activation pattern analysis revealed earlier (more normal) onset of activation of gastrocnemius, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, and gluteus medius.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients should try to walk fast on the treadmill, thereby facilitating relevant weight-bearing muscles and improving gait efficiency.
Hesse
S
S
Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Klinik Berlin, Berlin, Germany. bhesse@zedat.fu-berlin.de
Werner
C
C
Paul
T
T
Bardeleben
A
A
Chaler
J
J
D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*