Although lower limb strength becomes asymmetrical with age, past studies of aging effects on gait biomechanics have usually analyzed only one limb. This experiment measured how aging and treadmill surface influenced both dominant and nondominant step parameters in older (mean 74.0 y) and young participants (mean 21.9 y). Step-cycle parameters were obtained from 3-dimensional position/time data during preferred-speed walking for 40 trials along a 10 m walkway and for 10 minutes of treadmill walking. Walking speed (young 1.23 m/s, older 1.24 m/s) and step velocity for the two age groups were similar in overground walking but older adults showed significantly slower walking speed (young 1.26 m/s, older 1.05 m/s) and step velocity on the treadmill due to reduced step length and prolonged step time. Older adults had shorter step length than young adults and both groups reduced step length on the treadmill. Step velocity and length of older adults’ dominant limb was asymmetrically larger. Older adults increased the proportion of double support in step time when treadmill walking. This adaptation combined with reduced step velocity and length may preserve balance. The results suggest that bilateral analyses should be employed to accurately describe asymmetric features of gait especially for older adults.
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机译：尽管下肢力量随着年龄的增长而变得不对称，但过去有关步态生物力学对衰老影响的研究通常只分析了一只肢体。该实验测量了老化和跑步机表面如何影响年龄较大（平均74.0岁）和年轻人（平均21.9岁）的主要和非主要步阶参数。在3步位置/时间数据中，在沿10 m的人行道和10分钟的跑步机上进行40次试验的首选速度步行过程中，获得了3维位置/时间数据。在地面行走中，两个年龄组的步行速度（年轻1.23 m / s，较老的1.24 m / s）和步速相似，但老年人的行走速度明显较慢（年轻1.26 m / s，较老的1.05 m / s），由于减少了步长和延长了步时间，因此在跑步机上的步速增加。老年人的步距比年轻人短，并且两组都减少了跑步机上的步距。老年人占优势的肢体的步速和长度不对称地较大。老年人在跑步机上行走时增加了双步支撑的比例。这种适应与降低的步速和长度相结合可以保持平衡。结果表明，应采用双边分析来准确描述步态的不对称特征，特别是对于老年人。
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