Effects of Fast-Walking on Muscle Activation in Young Adults and Elderly Persons
Journal Title: Journal of Novel Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation - Year 2017, Vol 1, Issue 1
Abstract
Coactivation of agonist and antagonist muscles participates in the regulation of joint stiffness and postural instability. Alterations on muscle activity have been revealed as an important falling risk factor. It is unclear the effects, and age-related differences, of a prolonged demanding task on the muscular coactivation levels. We compared muscle activation amplitude and coactivation of the vastus medialis, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius medialis from surface EMG in 16 young adults (age 21-33) and 8 elderly adults (age 66-72) while fast-walking at 70% of their maximum heart rate. Overall, the elderly demonstrated higher coactivation indexes than the young individuals. Ankle coactivation decreased in the first half of the swing phase, while coactivation at the knee increased in the latter half of the swing phase in our elders. Alterations of muscle activation and coactivation on the knee and ankle were more prominent close to landing and in the swing phase. Our results suggest that these alterations may suggest potential concerns with respect to the risk of falls.
Authors and Affiliations
CF de Oliveira, DP Soares, MC Bertani, LJ Rodrigues Machado, JP Vila-Boas
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP540002
- DOI 10.29328/journal.jnpr.1001002
- Views 109
- Downloads 0
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES): Clinical successes and failures to date
Non-invasive electrical stimulation in the form of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been documented as an optional assessment and treatment technology for decade...
Physical Therapy for Transverse Myelitis: A Case Report
Background and Purpose: Transverse myelitis (TM) is a rare neurological diagnosis found in 1-4 per million people. Rehabilitation is recommended secondary to steroid treatment. There is limited clinical research on physi...
Comparison of two types of strengthening exercises in upper limbs for improvement of wheelchair propulsion in paraplegics
Introduction: A reduction in physical activity due to spinal cord injury leads to deconditioning and increased dependency. Manual wheelchair propulsion is a straining form of ambulation and propulsion is based on the use...
Effects of Fast-Walking on Muscle Activation in Young Adults and Elderly Persons
Coactivation of agonist and antagonist muscles participates in the regulation of joint stiffness and postural instability. Alterations on muscle activity have been revealed as an important falling risk factor. It is uncl...
Comparison of Lung Function of normal and persons with chronic low back pain and its relation with duration and severity of Chronic Low Back Pain
Introduction: Chronic low back pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders. Studies have shown certain relations between physical fitness and chronic low back pain (CLBP) by examine some measures of physi...