conclusions the eccentric exercise therapy in the form of downhill walking had positive effects on functions and qol of studied case, especially had an augmenting effect on the thigh muscles size. case presentation the case was a 71- year-old woman suffering from chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis for 30 years that has been faced with increased musculoskeletal disorders in recent months. the...

People with a transtibial amputation using passive-elastic prostheses exhibit reduced prosthetic ankle power and push-off work compared to non-amputees and compensate by increasing their affected leg (AL) hip joint work and unaffected leg (UL) ankle, knee, and hip joint and leg work during level-ground walking. Use of a powered ankle–foot prosthesis normalizes step-to-step transition work durin...

PURPOSE Mountain trekking involves level, uphill, and downhill walking (DW). Prolonged DW induces damage to leg muscles, reducing force generating ability and muscle coordination. These increase risks for more serious injuries and accidents in mountain trekking, thus a strategy to minimize muscle damage is warranted. It has been shown that low-intensity eccentric contractions confer protective ...

Sarcomerogenesis, or the addition of sarcomeres in series within a fiber, has a profound impact on the performance of a muscle by increasing its contractile velocity and power. Sarcomerogenesis may provide a beneficial adaptation to prevent injury when a muscle consistently works at long lengths, accounting for the repeated-bout effect. The association between eccentric exercise, sarcomerogenes...

This study examined the effects of poles when walking on the rate of perceived exertion (RPE), physiological and kinematics parameters, and upon the mean ratio between locomotor and respiratory rhythms. Twelve healthy male and female volunteers, aged 22 to 49 years old, completed on a motorized treadmill in a counterbalanced randomized order 12 walking trials for 10 min at an individually prefe...

Cardiovascular responses of older adults to downhill (DTW, -10% incline) and level treadmill walking (0%) at self-selected walking speed (SSWS) were examined. Fifteen participants (age 68 ± 4 yr, height 1.69 ± 0.08 m, body mass 74.7 ± 8.1 kg) completed two 15-min walks at their SSWS (4.6 ± 0.6 km/hr). Cardiovascular responses were estimated using an arterial-volume finger clamp and infrared ple...

The oxygen cost of transport per unit distance (CoT; mL·kg(-1)·km(-1)) shows a U-shaped curve as a function of walking speed (v), which includes a particular walking speed minimizing the CoT, so called economical speed (ES). The CoT-v relationship in running is approximately linear. These distinctive walking and running CoT-v relationships give an intersection between U-shaped and linear CoT re...

To assess energetic costs during rest and locomotion in a small insect, we measured metabolic rate in freely moving ants Camponotus sp. (average body mass 11.9 mg). The animals ran in a straight respirometric chamber in which locomotor speed and CO2 release were monitored simultaneously using flow-through respirometry and conventional video analysis. In resting intact ants, standard metabolic r...