Study of Influence of Simulated Weightlessness and Lunar Gravity to Biomechanical Parameters of Human Walking
Shpakov, A.V.; Voronov, A.V.
Rossiiskii Fiziologicheskii Zhurnal Imeni I.M. Sechenova 102(10): 1253-1264
2016
ISSN/ISBN: 0869-8139 PMID: 30193443 Document Number: 686161
The paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of the biomechanical characteristics human's walking before and after a stay in a long-term head-down bed rest at a -6 degrees angle simulating a microgravity (the HDBR-group) and in head-up bed rest (HUBR) at a +9.6 degrees angle as a analogue of lunar gravity (the HUBR-group). The biomechanical characteristics of the walking on a treadmill pace of 60 steps/minute before and after bed rest were analyzed. We investigated also the electromyographic characteristics of leg muscles and recorded the angles in the following joints: hip joint, knee joint and ankle joint. The most pronounced effect on the parameters of the humans walking was found in the HDBR-group. It was manifested in the changes of angles in the leg joints at various phases of a step change and in an electromyographic activity of muscles. Similar, but less pronounced changes of walking biomechanical characteristics were found after bed rest in the HUBR-group.