title: Influence of walking speed on electromyographic activity of the rectus abdominis and erector spinae during high-heeled walking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine the effect of walking speed on the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the rectus abdominis (RA) and erector spinae (ES) muscles during treadmill high-heeled walking at different shoe heel heights.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five young healthy women volunteered to participate in this study. The subjects performed treadmill walking at speeds of 3 km/h and 6 km/h for 30 seconds under 3 high-heeled conditions: barefoot, 3-cm heels, and 7-cm heels. Surface electromyography (EMG) data were collected from standard sites on the RA and ES muscles during treadmill walking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For all heel heights, the EMG activity of the RA and ES muscles was significantly higher at the 6 km/h speed than at the 3 km/h speed (p < 0.05). Furthermore, EMG activity increased significantly with increasing shoe heel height, regardless of the walking speed (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that walking speed and shoe heel height may contribute to the increased activity of the trunk muscle during high-heeled walking. This study provides information for future studies performed with the aim of predicting possible changes in trunk muscle activity during high-heeled walking.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Section, Korea Weightlifting Federation, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Bonifacio Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Jeong
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, College of Natural Science, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: So-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Cheongju University, Chungbuk, Korea.
authors.forename: Duck-Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Yong
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000502:physiology*; D012775:Shoes; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Electromyography; erector spinae; high-heeled shoes; walking speed