Metabolic cost and mechanical work of walking in a virtual reality emulator.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the metabolic cost (C), mechanical work, and kinematics of walking on a multidirectional treadmill designed for locomotion in virtual reality.

Methods

Ten participants (5 females, body mass 67.2 ± 8.1 kg, height 1.71 ± 0.07 m, age 23.6 ± 1.9 years, mean ± SD) walked on a Virtuix Omni multidirectional treadmill at four imposed stride frequencies: 0.70, 0.85, 1.00, and 1.15 Hz. A portable metabolic system measured oxygen uptake, enabling calculation of C and the metabolic equivalent of task (MET). Gait kinematics and external, internal, and total mechanical work (W_TOT) were calculated by an optoelectronic system. Efficiency was calculated either as W_TOT/C or by summing W_TOT to the work agains

SUBMITTER: Luciano F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10879236 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature