Metabolic accommodation to running on a body weight-supported treadmill

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics
• Sports Science

Background:

• Lower body positive pressure (LBPP) treadmills are increasingly used for training and rehabilitation.
• Limited data exists on the metabolic adaptations runners experience when using LBPP treadmills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the existence of a metabolic accommodation period during running on an LBPP treadmill.
• To determine the duration of this accommodation period.

Main Methods:

• Eight recreational runners completed 15-minute trials at varying body weight support levels (50%, 70%, 90%).
• Oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured throughout the trials.
• Repeated measures ANOVA analyzed metabolic changes across trials.

Main Results:

• Oxygen consumption (VO2) significantly decreased with successive trials, indicating metabolic adaptation.
• The most substantial reduction in VO2 was observed at the highest level of body weight support (90%).
• No significant metabolic changes were noted after the fourth trial (60 minutes of running).

Conclusions:

• A metabolic accommodation period of approximately 60 minutes was observed when running on an LBPP treadmill.
• This adaptation period is essential for obtaining reliable metabolic cost data.
• The degree of body weight support influences the magnitude of the metabolic accommodation.