title: Kinetic analysis of the function of the upper body for elite race walkers during official men 20 km walking race.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study investigated the function of the upper extremities of elite race walkers during official 20 km races, focusing on the angular momentum about the vertical axis and other parameters of the upper extremities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen walkers were analysed using the three-dimensional direct linear transformation method during three official men's 20 km walking races. The subjects, included participants at the Olympics and World Championships, who finished without disqualification and had not been disqualified during the two years prior to or following the races analysed in the present study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The angular momenta of the upper and lower body were counterbalanced as in running and normal walking. The momentum of the upper body was mainly generated by the upper extremities. The joint force moment of the right shoulder and the joint torque at the left shoulder just before right toe-off were significantly correlated with the walking speed. These were counterbalanced by other moments and torques to the torso torque, which worked to obtain a large mechanical energy flow from the recovery leg to the support leg in the final phase of the support phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therefore, a function of the shoulder torque was to counterbalance the torso torque to gain a fast walking speed with substantial mechanical energy flow.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Economics, Seikei University, Tokyo, Japan - koji-hoga-miura@econ.seikei.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoga-Miura
authors.forename: Michiyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ae
authors.forename: Norihisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokozawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D013177:Sports; D019415:Torque; D060726:Torso; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult