Familiarization with treadmill walking: How much is enough?

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human Locomotion
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Treadmill gait analysis is crucial for studying walking impairments and treatment outcomes.
• Differences in sensorimotor input between overground and treadmill walking require a familiarization period.
• Lack of a standardized protocol for treadmill acclimatization can introduce confounding factors into gait analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and quantify the initial adaptations of healthy adults to treadmill walking.
• To establish optimal familiarization durations for reliable treadmill gait analysis.
• To inform the development of standardized treadmill acclimatization protocols.

Main Methods:

• Marker-based kinematic analysis was used to assess 26 walking parameters in 40 healthy adults over 10 minutes.
• Acclimatization profiles were generated to identify stable performance plateaus.
• Participant age and prior treadmill experience were considered.

Main Results:

• 16 out of 26 walking parameters showed initial adaptation followed by a plateau within 6-7 minutes (approx. 425 strides).
• Distal lower limb parameters (ankle ROM, toe trajectory, foot clearance) and gait variability adapted significantly.
• Parameters like interlimb coordination and symmetry remained stable throughout the assessment.
• Older and treadmill-naïve participants exhibited larger adaptation amplitudes but similar time scales.

Conclusions:

• A minimum of 6 minutes of treadmill acclimatization is recommended for achieving stable gait parameters in healthy adults.
• This duration is sufficient for both older adults and those new to treadmill walking.
• The findings support optimizing treadmill-based gait analysis protocols for improved locomotor assessments in research and clinical settings.