Article

Assessment of walking energy efficiency is potentially useful for objectively
quantifying gait efficiency; however, issues regarding methodology, day-to-day
variability, inter subject variability (age and size differences) and clinical
relevance prevents the assessment of walking energy efficiency from being used as
a standard assessment tool. Volume of oxygen (VO(2)) and heart rate were assessed
to determine the intra-subject (day-to-day) variability, the impact of age and
body parameters and the clinical relevance of gross cost, Net non-dimensional
Cost (NNcost) and Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) in able-bodied individuals. Gross
cost demonstrated the least amount of day-to-day variability, in comparison to
NNcost and EEI. Age and body parameters contributed more to the variability in
gross cost than NNcost and EEI. Only net non-dimensional oxygen consumption was
related to the velocity of walking. EEI did not correlate with direct measures of
oxygen cost. The results from this study demonstrate that utilization of NNcost,
a measure that subtracts resting oxygen consumption from walking oxygen
consumption and scales for body parameters, is preferable to the traditional
measures for comparing individuals of different ages and sizes and is related to
the speed that the individual walks.

Langue : ANGLAIS