Segmental contribution to whole-body angular momentum during stepping in healthy young and old adults

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 19969
• Main Authors: Begue, Jérémie, Peyrot, Nicolas, Lesport, Angélique, Turpin, Nicolas A, Watier, Bruno, Dalleau, Georges, Caderby, Teddy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 07.10.2021; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; Aging - physiology; Arm; Balance; Biomechanical Phenomena - physiology; Biomechanics; Female; Geriatrics; Humans; Kinematics; Leg; Male; Mechanics; Middle Aged; Older people; Physics; Postural Balance; Torso; Walking - physiology; Young Adult; Young adults
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99519-y

Recent evidence suggests that during volitional stepping older adults control whole-body angular momentum (H) less effectively than younger adults, which may impose a greater challenge for balance control during this task in the elderly. This study investigated the influence of aging on the segment angular momenta and their contributions to H during stepping. Eighteen old and 15 young healthy adults were instructed to perform a series of stepping at two speed conditions: preferred and as fast as possible. Full-body kinematics were recorded to compute angular momenta of the trunk, arms and legs and their contributions to total absolute H on the entire stepping movement. Results indicated that older adults exhibited larger angular momenta of the trunk and legs in the sagittal plane, which contributed to a higher sagittal plane H range during stepping compared to young adults. Results also revealed that older adults had a greater trunk contribution and lower leg contribution to total absolute H in the sagittal plane compared to young adults, even though there was no difference in the other two planes. These results stress that age-related changes in H control during stepping arise as a result of changes in trunk and leg rotational dynamics.