Article

Obese children move less and with greater difficulty than normal-weight
counterparts but expend comparable energy. Increased metabolic costs have been
attributed to poor biomechanics but few studies have investigated the influence
of obesity on mechanical demands of gait. This study sought to assess
three-dimensional lower extremity joint powers in two walking cadences in 28
obese and normal-weight children. 3D-motion analysis was conducted for five
trials of barefoot walking at self-selected and 30% greater than self-selected
cadences. Mechanical power was calculated at the hip, knee, and ankle in
sagittal, frontal and transverse planes. Significant group differences were seen
for all power phases in the sagittal plane, hip and knee power at weight
acceptance and hip power at propulsion in the frontal plane, and knee power
during mid-stance in the transverse plane. After adjusting for body weight, group
differences existed in hip and knee power phases at weight acceptance in sagittal
and frontal planes, respectively. Differences in cadence existed for all hip
joint powers in the sagittal plane and frontal plane hip power at propulsion.
Frontal plane knee power at weight acceptance and sagittal plane knee power at
propulsion were significantly different between cadences. Larger joint powers in
obese children contribute to difficulty performing locomotor tasks, potentially
decreasing motivation to exercise.
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Langue : ANGLAIS