TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of external lateral stabilization on the use of foot placement to control mediolateral stability in walking and running
AU - Mahaki, Mohammadreza
AU - Bruijn, Sjoerd M.
AU - Van Dieën, Jaap H.
PY - 2019/10/28
Y1 - 2019/10/28
N2 - It is still unclear how humans control mediolateral (ML) stability in walking and even more so for running. Here, foot placement strategy as a main mechanism to control ML stability was compared between walking and running. Moreover, to verify the role of foot placement as a means to control ML stability in both modes of locomotion, this study investigated the effect of external lateral stabilization on foot placement control. Ten young adults participated in this study. Kinematic data of the trunk (T6) and feet were recorded during walking and running on a treadmill in normal and stabilized conditions. Correlation between ML trunk CoM state and subsequent ML foot placement, step width, and step width variability were assessed. Paired t-tests (either SPM1d or normal) were used to compare aforementioned parameters between normal walking and running. Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs (either SPM1d or normal) were used to test for effects of walking vs. running and of normal vs. stabilized condition. We found a stronger correlation between ML trunk CoM state and ML foot placement and significantly higher step width variability in walking than in running. The correlation between ML trunk CoM state and ML foot placement, step width, and step width variability were significantly decreased by external lateral stabilization in walking and running, and this reduction was stronger in walking than in running. We conclude that ML foot placement is coordinated to ML trunk CoM state to stabilize both walking and running and this coordination is stronger in walking than in running.
AB - It is still unclear how humans control mediolateral (ML) stability in walking and even more so for running. Here, foot placement strategy as a main mechanism to control ML stability was compared between walking and running. Moreover, to verify the role of foot placement as a means to control ML stability in both modes of locomotion, this study investigated the effect of external lateral stabilization on foot placement control. Ten young adults participated in this study. Kinematic data of the trunk (T6) and feet were recorded during walking and running on a treadmill in normal and stabilized conditions. Correlation between ML trunk CoM state and subsequent ML foot placement, step width, and step width variability were assessed. Paired t-tests (either SPM1d or normal) were used to compare aforementioned parameters between normal walking and running. Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs (either SPM1d or normal) were used to test for effects of walking vs. running and of normal vs. stabilized condition. We found a stronger correlation between ML trunk CoM state and ML foot placement and significantly higher step width variability in walking than in running. The correlation between ML trunk CoM state and ML foot placement, step width, and step width variability were significantly decreased by external lateral stabilization in walking and running, and this reduction was stronger in walking than in running. We conclude that ML foot placement is coordinated to ML trunk CoM state to stabilize both walking and running and this coordination is stronger in walking than in running.
KW - Balance
KW - External lateral stabilization
KW - Foot placement strategy
KW - Gait stability
KW - Running
KW - Stepping strategy
KW - Walking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074293476&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85074293476&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7717/peerj.7939
DO - 10.7717/peerj.7939
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85074293476
VL - 2019
SP - 1
EP - 15
JO - PeerJ
JF - PeerJ
IS - 10
M1 - e7939
ER -