Joint Torque and Power Redistribution During Accelerated Walking in Older Adults

Age-induced physiological changes lead to the biomechanical locomotor adaptation of a distal to proximal shift in joint torques and powers during steady-state walking (DeVita & Hortobagyi, 2000; Cofre, Lythgo, Morgan, & Galea, 2011; Kerrigan et al., 1998). Although steady-state walking is a good indicator of health, it does not accurately describe functional mobility because normal walking behavior is most often comprised of few constant-velocity steps between accelerating, decelerating, or changing direction (Orendurff, Schoen, Bernatz, Segal, & Klute, 2008). Accelerating steps presumably require increased muscle force and torque and may be inherently more difficult and more dangerous (e.g. fall inducing) for older adults. To my knowledge and despite its prevalence in locomotor behavior, the literature is almost devoid of biomechanical analyses of accelerated walking, particularly literature on aging biomechanics. This proposal tests the hypothesis that aging induces a distal to proximal shift in joint torques and powers during accelerated walking with one specific aim: to compare lower extremity joint torques and powers during accelerated walking in young and old adults.

Scholars @ ECU