title: The Effect of Uphill and Downhill Walking on Joint-Position Sense: A Study on Healthy Knees.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During sport activity, knee proprioception might worsen. This decrease in proprioceptive acuity negatively influences motor control and therefore may increase injury risk. Hiking is a common activity characterized by a higher-intensity-exercise phase during uphill walking and a lower-intensity-exercise phase during downhill walking. Pain and injuries are reported in hiking, especially during the downhill phase.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of a hiking-fatigue protocol on joint-position sense.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  University research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 nonprofessional sportswomen without knee injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Joint-position sense was tested at the beginning, after 30 min uphill walking, and after 30 min downhill walking on a treadmill (continuous protocol).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After downhill walking, joint-position sense was significantly worse than in the test at the beginning (P = .035, α = .05). After uphill walking, no differences were observed in comparison with the test at the beginning (P = .172, α = .05) or the test after downhill walking (P = .165, α = .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Downhill walking causes impairment in knee-joint-position sense. Considering these results, injury-prevention protocols for hiking should focus on maintaining and improving knee proprioception during the descending phase.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Giuliamarta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bottoni
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kofler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasler
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nachbauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult