Normalization of Ground Reaction Forces

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Mullineaux ◽  
Clare E. Milner ◽  
Irene S. Davis ◽  
Joseph Hamill
Keyword(s):  
Loading Rate ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Newtonian Mechanics ◽  
Covariate Effect ◽  
Loading Rates ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Explained Variance ◽  
Dimensionality Theory ◽  
The Relationship

The appropriateness of normalizing data, as one method to reduce the effects of a covariate on a dependent variable, should be evaluated. Using ratio, 0.67-nonlinear, and fitted normalizations, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between ground reaction force variables and body mass (BM). Ground reaction forces were recorded for 40 female subjects running at 3.7 ± 0.18 m·s–1 (mass = 58 ± 6 kg). The explained variance for mass to forces (peak-impact-vertical = 70%; propulsive-vertical = 27%; braking = 40%) was reduced to < 0.1% for mass to ratio normalized forces (i.e., forces/BM1) with statistically significantly different power exponents (p < 0.05). The smaller covariate effect of mass on loading rate variables of 2–16% was better removed through fitted normalization (e.g., vertical-instantaneous-loading-rate/BM0.69±0.93; ±95% CI) with nonlinear power exponents ranging from 0.51 to 1.13. Generally, these were similar to 0.67 as predicted through dimensionality theory, but, owing to the large confidence intervals, these power exponents were not statistically significantly different from absolute or ratio normalized data (p > 0.05). Further work is warranted to identify the appropriate method to normalize loading rates either to mass or to another covariate. Ratio normalization of forces to mass, as predicted through Newtonian mechanics, is recommended for comparing subjects of different masses.

Ground reaction force and hoof deceleration patterns on two different surfaces at the trot

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Gustås ◽  
Christopher Johnston ◽  
Stig Drevemo
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Triaxial Accelerometer ◽  
Loading Rates ◽  
Sand Surface ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Force Data

AbstractThe objective of the present study was to compare the hoof deceleration and ground reaction forces following impact on two different surfaces. Seven unshod Standardbreds were trotted by hand at 3.0–5.7 m s− 1 over a force plate covered by either of the two surfaces, sandpaper or a 1 cm layer of sand. Impact deceleration data were recorded from one triaxial accelerometer mounted on the fore- and hind hooves, respectively. Ground reaction force data were obtained synchronously from a force plate, sampled at 4.8 kHz. The differences between the two surfaces were studied by analysing representative deceleration and force variables for individual horses. The maximum horizontal peak deceleration and the loading rates of the vertical and the horizontal forces were significantly higher on sandpaper compared with the sand surface (P < 0.001). In addition, the initial vertical deceleration was significantly higher on sandpaper in the forelimb (P < 0.001). In conclusion, it was shown that the different qualities of the ground surface result in differences in the hoof-braking pattern, which may be of great importance for the strength of the distal horse limb also at slow speeds.

scholarly journals Spring-like leg behaviour, musculoskeletal mechanics and control in maximum and submaximum height human hopping

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1570) ◽  
pp. 1516-1529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten F. Bobbert ◽  
L. J. Richard Casius
Keyword(s):  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Centre Of Mass ◽  
Leg Stiffness ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this study was to understand how humans regulate their ‘leg stiffness’ in hopping, and to determine whether this regulation is intended to minimize energy expenditure. ‘Leg stiffness’ is the slope of the relationship between ground reaction force and displacement of the centre of mass (CM). Variations in leg stiffness were achieved in six subjects by having them hop at maximum and submaximum heights at a frequency of 1.7 Hz. Kinematics, ground reaction forces and electromyograms were measured. Leg stiffness decreased with hopping height, from 350 N m −1 kg −1 at 26 cm to 150 N m −1 kg −1 at 14 cm. Subjects reduced hopping height primarily by reducing the amplitude of muscle activation. Experimental results were reproduced with a model of the musculoskeletal system comprising four body segments and nine Hill-type muscles, with muscle stimulation STIM( t ) as only input. Correspondence between simulated hops and experimental hops was poor when STIM( t ) was optimized to minimize mechanical energy expenditure, but good when an objective function was used that penalized jerk of CM motion, suggesting that hopping subjects are not minimizing energy expenditure. Instead, we speculated, subjects are using a simple control strategy that results in smooth movements and a decrease in leg stiffness with hopping height.

scholarly journals Adaptation of Running Biomechanics to Repeated Barefoot Running: A Randomized Controlled Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 1975-1983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karsten Hollander ◽  
Dominik Liebl ◽  
Stephanie Meining ◽  
Klaus Mattes ◽  
Steffen Willwacher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Passive Control ◽  
Loading Rate ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Ground Contact ◽  
Barefoot Running ◽  
Loading Rates ◽  
Foot Strike ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Running Biomechanics

Background: Previous studies have shown that changing acutely from shod to barefoot running induces several changes to running biomechanics, such as altered ankle kinematics, reduced ground-reaction forces, and reduced loading rates. However, uncertainty exists whether these effects still exist after a short period of barefoot running habituation. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose was to investigate the effects of a habituation to barefoot versus shod running on running biomechanics. It was hypothesized that a habituation to barefoot running would induce different adaptations of running kinetics and kinematics as compared with a habituation to cushioned footwear running or no habituation. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Young, physically active adults without experience in barefoot running were randomly allocated to a barefoot habituation group, a cushioned footwear group, or a passive control group. The 8-week intervention in the barefoot and footwear groups consisted of 15 minutes of treadmill running at 70% of VO2 max (maximal oxygen consumption) velocity per weekly session in the allocated footwear. Before and after the intervention period, a 3-dimensional biomechanical analysis for barefoot and shod running was conducted on an instrumented treadmill. The passive control group did not receive any intervention but was also tested prior to and after 8 weeks. Pre- to posttest changes in kinematics, kinetics, and spatiotemporal parameters were then analyzed with a mixed effects model. Results: Of the 60 included participants (51.7% female; mean ± SD age, 25.4 ± 3.3 years; body mass index, 22.6 ± 2.1 kg·m-2), 53 completed the study (19 in the barefoot habituation group, 18 in the shod habituation group, and 16 in the passive control group). Acutely, running barefoot versus shod influenced foot strike index and ankle, foot, and knee angles at ground contact ( P < .001), as well as vertical average loading rate ( P = .003), peak force ( P < .001), contact time ( P < .001), flight time ( P < .001), step length ( P < .001), and cadence ( P < .001). No differences were found for average force ( P = .391). After the barefoot habituation period, participants exhibited more anterior foot placement ( P = .006) when running barefoot, while no changes were observed in the footwear condition. Furthermore, barefoot habituation increased the vertical average loading rates in both conditions (barefoot, P = .01; shod, P = .003) and average vertical ground-reaction forces for shod running ( P = .039). All other outcomes (ankle, foot, and knee angles at ground contact and flight time, contact time, cadence, and peak forces) did not change significantly after the 8-week habituation. Conclusion: Changing acutely from shod to barefoot running in a habitually shod population increased the foot strike index and reduced ground-reaction force and loading rates. After the habituation to barefoot running, the foot strike index was further increased, while the force and average loading rates also increased as compared with the acute barefoot running situation. The increased average loading rate is contradictory to other studies on acute adaptations of barefoot running. Clinical Relevance: A habituation to barefoot running led to increased vertical average loading rates. This finding was unexpected and questions the generalizability of acute adaptations to long-term barefoot running. Sports medicine professionals should consider these adaptations in their recommendations regarding barefoot running as a possible measure for running injury prevention. Registration: DRKS00011073 (German Clinical Trial Register).

scholarly journals Running ground reaction forces across footwear conditions are predicted from the motion of two body mass components

2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 1315-1325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew B. Udofa ◽  
Kenneth P. Clark ◽  
Laurence J. Ryan ◽  
Peter G. Weyand
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Time Patterns ◽  
Foot Strike ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Ground ◽  
Force Time

Although running shoes alter foot-ground reaction forces, particularly during impact, how they do so is incompletely understood. Here, we hypothesized that footwear effects on running ground reaction force-time patterns can be accurately predicted from the motion of two components of the body’s mass (mb): the contacting lower-limb (m1 = 0.08mb) and the remainder (m2 = 0.92mb). Simultaneous motion and vertical ground reaction force-time data were acquired at 1,000 Hz from eight uninstructed subjects running on a force-instrumented treadmill at 4.0 and 7.0 m/s under four footwear conditions: barefoot, minimal sole, thin sole, and thick sole. Vertical ground reaction force-time patterns were generated from the two-mass model using body mass and footfall-specific measures of contact time, aerial time, and lower-limb impact deceleration. Model force-time patterns generated using the empirical inputs acquired for each footfall matched the measured patterns closely across the four footwear conditions at both protocol speeds ( r2 = 0.96 ± 0.004; root mean squared error  = 0.17 ± 0.01 body-weight units; n = 275 total footfalls). Foot landing angles (θF) were inversely related to footwear thickness; more positive or plantar-flexed landing angles coincided with longer-impact durations and force-time patterns lacking distinct rising-edge force peaks. Our results support three conclusions: 1) running ground reaction force-time patterns across footwear conditions can be accurately predicted using our two-mass, two-impulse model, 2) impact forces, regardless of foot strike mechanics, can be accurately quantified from lower-limb motion and a fixed anatomical mass (0.08mb), and 3) runners maintain similar loading rates (ΔFvertical/Δtime) across footwear conditions by altering foot strike angle to regulate the duration of impact. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we validate a two-mass, two-impulse model of running vertical ground reaction forces across four footwear thickness conditions (barefoot, minimal, thin, thick). Our model allows the impact portion of the impulse to be extracted from measured total ground reaction force-time patterns using motion data from the ankle. The gait adjustments observed across footwear conditions revealed that runners maintained similar loading rates across footwear conditions by altering foot strike angles to regulate the duration of impact.

scholarly journals Ground Reaction Forces and Kinematics of Ski Jump Landing Using Wearable Sensors

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bessone ◽  
Petrat ◽  
Schwirtz
Keyword(s):  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Inertial Motion ◽  
Jump Landing ◽  
The Past ◽  
Landing Biomechanics ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
The Hill ◽  
Kinematics And Kinetics

In the past, technological issues limited research focused on ski jump landing. Today, thanks to the development of wearable sensors, it is possible to analyze the biomechanics of athletes without interfering with their movements. The aims of this study were twofold. Firstly, the quantification of the kinetic magnitude during landing is performed using wireless force insoles while 22 athletes jumped during summer training on the hill. In the second part, the insoles were combined with inertial motion units (IMUs) to determine the possible correlation between kinematics and kinetics during landing. The maximal normal ground reaction force (GRFmax) ranged between 1.1 and 5.3 body weight per foot independently when landing using the telemark or parallel leg technique. The GRFmax and impulse were correlated with flying time (p < 0.001). The hip flexions/extensions and the knee and hip rotations of the telemark front leg correlated with GRFmax (r = 0.689, p = 0.040; r = −0.670, p = 0.048; r = 0.820, p = 0.007; respectively). The force insoles and their combination with IMUs resulted in promising setups to analyze landing biomechanics and to provide in-field feedback to the athletes, being quick to place and light, without limiting movement.

Correlation between Ground Reaction Force and Tibial Acceleration in Vertical Jumping

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niell G. Elvin ◽  
Alex A. Elvin ◽  
Steven P. Arnoczky
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Jump Height ◽  
Vertical Jumping ◽  
Average Coefficient ◽  
Reaction Forces

Modern electronics allow for the unobtrusive measurement of accelerations outside the laboratory using wireless sensor nodes. The ability to accurately measure joint accelerations under unrestricted conditions, and to correlate them with jump height and landing force, could provide important data to better understand joint mechanics subject to real-life conditions. This study investigates the correlation between peak vertical ground reaction forces, as measured by a force plate, and tibial axial accelerations during free vertical jumping. The jump heights calculated from force-plate data and accelerometer measurements are also compared. For six male subjects participating in this study, the average coefficient of determination between peak ground reaction force and peak tibial axial acceleration is found to be 0.81. The coefficient of determination between jump height calculated using force plate and accelerometer data is 0.88. Data show that the landing forces could be as high as 8 body weights of the jumper. The measured peak tibial accelerations ranged up to 42 g. Jump heights calculated from force plate and accelerometer sensors data differed by less than 2.5 cm. It is found that both impact accelerations and landing forces are only weakly correlated with jump height (the average coefficient of determination is 0.12). This study shows that unobtrusive accelerometers can be used to determine the ground reaction forces experienced in a jump landing. Whereas the device also permitted an accurate determination of jump height, there was no correlation between peak ground reaction force and jump height.

scholarly journals Heel impact forces during barefoot versus minimally shod walking among Tarahumara subsistence farmers and urban Americans

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 180044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian J. Wallace ◽  
Elizabeth Koch ◽  
Nicholas B. Holowka ◽  
Daniel E. Lieberman
Keyword(s):  
Effective Mass ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Musculoskeletal Health ◽  
Subsistence Farmers ◽  
Loading Rates ◽  
Impact Forces ◽  
Recent Interest ◽  
Walking Biomechanics ◽  
Reaction Forces

Despite substantial recent interest in walking barefoot and in minimal footwear, little is known about potential differences in walking biomechanics when unshod versus minimally shod. To test the hypothesis that heel impact forces are similar during barefoot and minimally shod walking, we analysed ground reaction forces recorded in both conditions with a pedography platform among indigenous subsistence farmers, the Tarahumara of Mexico, who habitually wear minimal sandals, as well as among urban Americans wearing commercially available minimal sandals. Among both the Tarahumara ( n  = 35) and Americans ( n  = 30), impact peaks generated in sandals had significantly ( p  < 0.05) higher force magnitudes, slower loading rates and larger vertical impulses than during barefoot walking. These kinetic differences were partly due to individuals' significantly greater effective mass when walking in sandals. Our results indicate that, in general, people tread more lightly when walking barefoot than in minimal footwear. Further research is needed to test if the variations in impact peaks generated by walking barefoot or in minimal shoes have consequences for musculoskeletal health.

The Relationship Between Vertical Ground Reaction Force, Loading Rate, and Sound Characteristics During a Single-Leg Landing

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 541-546
Author(s):  
Caroline Lisee ◽  
Tom Birchmeier ◽  
Arthur Yan ◽  
Brent Geers ◽  
Kaitlin O’Hagan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Loading Rate ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Sound Frequency ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Vertical Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Vertical Ground ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Linear Loading

Context: Landing kinetic outcomes are associated with injury risk and may be persistently altered after anterior cruciate ligament injury or reconstruction. However, it is challenging to assess kinetics clinically. The relationship between sound characteristics and kinetics during a limited number of functional tasks has been supported as a potential clinical alternative. Objective: To assess the relationship between kinetics and sound characteristics during a single-leg landing task. Design: Observational Setting: Laboratory. Participants: There was total of 26 healthy participants (15 males/11 females, age = 24.8 [3.6] y, height = 176.0 [9.1] cm, mass = 74.9 [14.4] kg, Tegner Activity Scale = 6.1 [1.1]). Intervention: Participants completed single-leg landings onto a force plate while audio characteristics were recorded. Main Outcome Measures: Peak vertical ground reaction force, linear loading rate, instantaneous loading rate, peak sound magnitude, sound frequency were measured. Means and SDs were calculated for each participant’s individual limbs. Spearman rho correlations were used to assess the relationships between audio characteristics and kinetic outcomes. Results: Peak sound magnitude was positively correlated with normalized peak vertical ground reaction force (ρ = .486, P = .001); linear loading rate (ρ = .491, P = .001); and instantaneous loading rate (ρ = .298, P = .03). Sound frequency was negatively correlated with instantaneous loading rate (ρ = −.444, P = .001). Conclusions: Peak sound magnitude may be more helpful in providing feedback about an individual’s normalized vertical ground reaction force and linear loading rate, and sound frequency may be more helpful in providing feedback about instantaneous loading rate. Further refinement in sound measurement techniques may be required before these findings can be applied in a clinical population.

Some Gait Characteristics of Below-Knee Amputees and Their Reflection on the Ground Reaction Forces

1986 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Seliktar ◽  
J Mizrahi
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Force ◽  
Kinetic Studies ◽  
Human Locomotion ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Small Perturbations ◽  
Gait Characteristics ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Force Characteristics

Human locomotion studies employing cinematography and force plates have been conducted during the last five decades with the goal of producing a clinically acceptable gait evaluation technique. The bulk of information contained in the kinetic studies was the major obstacle in achieving this goal. Our aim in this work was to explore the possibility of representing some locomotor abnormalities solely by their reflection on the ground reaction force characteristics. As a first stage towards the establishment of these relationships, the gait characteristics of below-knee amputees were examined. One hundred and thirty ground force test results as obtained on twenty three below-knee amputees were analysed. Different variables such as time durations of the various phases, peak forces, impulses, rate of change of the forces, and others, were examined. The conclusions suggest that some of these variables are suitable for evaluation of gait and some, such as small perturbations superimposed on the curve, may serve as indicators of specific malfunction of the prosthetic system.

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