Comparative analysis of the lower limbs distribution joint torque during the run in adults and elderly runners

• Grant number: 10/02878-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2010
• Effective date (End): October 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal researcher: Marcos Duarte
• Grantee: Cristina Porto Alves Alcantara
• Home Institution: Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (CECS). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 11/22142-6 - Running biomechanical evaluation: multicenter study to comprehend the movement with implication in the injury prevention and performance improvement, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

With the growing preoccupation for a better quality of life, there hasbeen an increase in the search for physical activities by both youngand elderly adults. The long distance running was one of theactivities which had the largest number of novices among the elderlypopulation. In a study that our group conducted about elderly runners (Fukuchi,Duarte 2008), the main observed difference by the first time was thatelderly individuals present greater foot abduction (toe-out) duringrunning than young adults. This alteration has been observed inelderly individuals in general during walking, and identified as aprotective mechanism to not overload the medial compartment of theknee joint. It is also known that elderly individuals present adifferent joint torque distribution in the lower limbs during walkingin comparison with young adults. However, it's not known the relationbetween the movement patterns, particularly the foot abductionpattern, and the mechanical load on the knee joint during running byelderly individuals. With this project, we want to understand whyelderly individuals change their movement pattern during running andto determine for the same subjects if this altered pattern is alsopresent during walking and standing. Our hypotheses are that thestrategy of a greater foot abduction is present in all movement tasksand that the use of this strategy is related to the integrity of theknee joint, even considering the highly active elderly individuals.These findings will contribute for a greater understanding of thebenefits of the practice of running and the adaptations developed bythe elderly runners and in this way to contribute for the prescriptionof this activity to the elderly population.This project is part of a project funded by FAPESP entitled, "Controlof Balance and Movement in Sedentary and Runner Young and ElderlyAdults" (2008/10461 -7) under coordination of Prof. Dr. Marcos Duarte.