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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Lower-Limb Biomechanical Characteristics Associated with Unplanned Gait Termination Under Different Walking Speeds
Published on: August 25, 2020
Why not walk faster?
1Structure and Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Herts AL9 7TA, UK. jusherwood@rvc.ac.uk
Abstract:
Bipedal walking following inverted pendulum mechanics is constrained by two requirements: sufficient kinetic energy for the vault over midstance and sufficient gravity to provide the centripetal acceleration required for the arc of the body about the stance foot. While the acceleration condition identifies a maximum walking speed at a Froude number of 1, empirical observation indicates favoured walk-run transition speeds at a Froude number around 0.5 for birds, humans and humans under manipulated gravity conditions. In this study, I demonstrate that the risk of 'take-off' is greatest at the extremes of stance. This is because before and after kinetic energy is converted to potential, velocities (and so required centripetal accelerations) are highest, while concurrently the component of gravity acting in line with the leg is least. Limitations to the range of walking velocity and stride angle are explored. At walking speeds approaching a Froude number of 1, take-off is only avoidable with very small steps. With realistic limitations on swing-leg frequency, a novel explanation for the walk-run transition at a Froude number of 0.5 is shown.
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