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Updated: Jul 23, 2026
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Using a Split-belt Treadmill to Evaluate Generalization of Human Locomotor Adaptation
Published on: August 23, 2017
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Joint-level contributions to reducing mechanical work during split-belt walking in older adults
Russell T Johnson1, Tara Cornwell2, Ryan Novotny3
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 900007, USA.
Journal of Biomechanics
|December 9, 2024
Summary
Older adults adapt to split-belt treadmill walking by reducing leg work and metabolic cost. This adaptation is primarily driven by changes in ankle joint work, demonstrating preserved mechanical energy savings with aging.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human adaptation
- Gerontology
Background:
- Split-belt treadmill adaptation reveals how individuals adjust walking to novel conditions.
- Young adults reduce metabolic cost and leg work by increasing step length asymmetry on the faster belt.
- Aging may alter joint work distribution, impacting adaptation strategies in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between joint work rate and step length asymmetry in older adults during split-belt walking.
- To determine if older adults can reduce leg work during split-belt adaptation.
- To identify which joints contribute to work reduction in older adults.
Main Methods:
- Quantified joint work rate and step length asymmetry in fourteen older adults walking on a split-belt treadmill.
- Analyzed the correlation between step length asymmetry and total positive joint work.
- Examined the contribution of specific joints, particularly the ankle, to changes in work rate.
Main Results:
- Step length asymmetry was negatively correlated with total positive work (p=0.01).
- Changes in positive joint work were predominantly driven by positive ankle work on the fast belt (p=0.01).
- Reductions in ankle joint work likely contribute to decreased metabolic cost.
Conclusions:
- Healthy aging preserves the ability to reduce the mechanical energy cost of walking through split-belt adaptation.
- Older adults can utilize treadmill work to decrease energy expenditure.
- Ankle joint work is a key factor in metabolic cost reduction during split-belt walking in older adults.
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