Mechanical energy patterns in nordic walking: comparisons with conventional walking.
The use of poles during Nordic Walking (NW) actively engages the upper body to propel the body forward during walking. Evidence suggests that NW leads to a longer stride and higher speed, and sometimes to increased ground reaction forces with respect to conventional walking (W). The aim of this study was to investigate if NW is associated with different changes in body centre of mass (COM) motion and limbs energy patterns, mechanical work and efficiency compared to W. Eight experienced Nordic Walkers performed 5-min W and NW trials on a treadmill at 4kmh-1. Steady state oxygen consumption and movements of body segments and poles were measured during each trial. We found greater fluctuation of kinetic (KE) and potential (PE) energy associated with COM displacement for NW compared to W. An earlier increase of KE for NW than for W, probably due to the propulsive action of poles, modified the synchronization between PE and KE oscillations so that a 10.9% higher pendular recovery between these energies was found in NW. The 10.2% higher total mechanical work found for NW was mainly due to the greater work required to move upper limbs and poles. NW was 20% less efficient and was metabolically more demanding than W, this difference could be ascribed to isometric contraction and low efficiency of upper musculature. Concluding, NW can be considered a highly dynamic gait, with distinctive mechanical features compared to conventional gait, due to pole propulsion and arm/pole swing.
CeRiSM (Research Centre in Mountain Sport and Health), University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. Electronic address: barbara.pellegrini@univr.it.
Barbara
B
Pellegrini
Exercise Research Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Leonardo Alexandre
LA
Peyré-Tartaruga
CeRiSM (Research Centre in Mountain Sport and Health), University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Chiara
C
Zoppirolli
CeRiSM (Research Centre in Mountain Sport and Health), University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Lorenzo
L
Bortolan
CeRiSM (Research Centre in Mountain Sport and Health), University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Aldo
A
Savoldelli
Laboratory of Physiomechanics of Locomotion, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Alberto Enrico
AE
Minetti
CeRiSM (Research Centre in Mountain Sport and Health), University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy; Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Federico
F
Schena
D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012016:Reference Values; D013177:Sports; D016138:Walking / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology
Gait; Locomotion; Mechanical work; Pendular mechanism; Pole walking