Article

The purpose of this study was to perform a biomechanics-based assessment of body
borne load during the walk-to-run transition and steady-state running because
historical research has limited load carriage assessment to prolonged walking.
Fifteen male military personnel had trunk and lower limb biomechanics examined
during these locomotor tasks with three different load configurations (light,
approximately 6 kg, medium, approximately 20 kg, and heavy, approximately 40 kg).
Subject-based means of the dependent variables were submitted to repeated
measures ANOVA to test the effects of load configuration. During the walk-to-run
transition, the hip decreased (P=0.001) and knee increased (P=0.004) their
contribution to joint power with the addition of load. Additionally, greater peak
trunk (P=0.001), hip (P=0.001), and knee flexion (P<0.001) moments and trunk
flexion (P<0.001) angle, and reduced hip (P=0.001) and knee flexion (P=0.001)
posture were evident during the loaded walk-to-run transition. Body borne load
had no significant effect (P>0.05) on distribution of lower limb joint power
during steady-state running, but increased peak trunk (P<0.001), hip (P=0.001),
and knee (P=0.001) flexion moments, and trunk flexion (P<0.001) posture were
evident. During the walk-to-run transition the load carrier may move joint power
production distally down the kinetic chain and adopt biomechanical profiles to
maintain performance of the task. The load carrier, however, may not adopt lower
limb kinematic adaptations necessary to shift joint power distribution during
steady-state running, despite exhibiting potentially detrimental larger lower
limb joint loads. As such, further study appears needed to determine how load
carriage impairs maximal locomotor performance.
CI - Published by Elsevier B.V.

Langue : ANGLAIS