Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Thomas Mohr

Keywords

Biomechanics; Running

Abstract

Every athlete trains with the hopes of being bigger, stronger or faster than the competitor. Athletes are eager to jump on the "bandwagon" of new training techniques that claim to produce the results the athlete seeks. One such training technique is sprinting on a treadmill at high speeds and inclines. The purpose of this study is to describe muscle activity and joint motion while running on a treadmill at different speeds and inclines.

Six males between the ages of 21 and 27 years of age ran at 20 miles per hour and 0% grade and at 13 miles per hour on a 30% grade. Surface electrodes and joint markers were used to analyze electromyographic activity of six muscles and calculate joint angles while running. A descriptive analysis was then performed comparing the two trials.

From our results we conclude that the sprinter does adopt different strategies and muscle recruitment patterns to compensate for increases in slope. Examination of range of motion (ROM) revealed that there was greater overall motion of the hip during incline running, increased ROM at the knee during level running, with the ankle remaining relatively constant. EMG data revealed greater average muscle activity while sprinting at 13 mph on a 30% grade versus sprinting at 20 mph on a 0% grade.

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