Article

Gait patterns are commonly altered when walking or running barefoot compared to
shod conditions. Although controversy exists as to whether barefoot conditions
result in lower metabolic costs, it is clear that adding load to the body results
in increased metabolic costs. The effects of footwear and backpack loading have
been investigated separately, but it is unclear whether manipulating both
simultaneously would cause similar outcomes.
Twelve healthy individuals (7
female, 5 male) with no obvious gait abnormalities participated in this study
(age =24+/-2 years, height =1.73+/-0.13 m, and mass =71.1+/-16.9 kg). Steady state
metabolic data and 3D motion capture were collected during treadmill walking at
1.5 ms(-1) in four conditions: Barefoot Unloaded, Shod Unloaded, Barefoot Loaded,
and Shod Loaded. Barefoot walking elicited shorter stride lengths, stance and
double support times, as well as a slight ( approximately 1%), but not
significant, decrease in metabolic cost. Loading increased metabolic costs of
walking but did not elicit spatiotemporal changes in either footwear condition.
Lower limb kinematic differences were noted in response to both loading and
footwear. Changes in spatiotemporal parameters observed when walking barefoot
were not exacerbated by the addition of a backpack load. This suggests that the
increased metabolic demand associated with the load is met with a similar
spatiotemporal pattern whether a person wears a supportive shoe or not. Thus, the
discomfort associated with foot strike while barefoot that promotes
spatiotemporal changes seems to be independent of load.
CI - Copyright (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS