Exercise training modifies walking kinematics and energy cost in obese adolescents: A pilot controlled trial

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a weight loss intervention based on physical exercise on the relationship between energy cost and stride frequency during walking in obese teenagers. Participants aged 13-16 years old were assigned to a training (n = 14) and control (n = 10) groups. During eight weeks, the training group performed three 60-min weekly sessions of high-intensity intermittent activities coupled with aerobic training. Body composition, gait parameters and energy cost during 4-min walking bouts at participants' most comfortable speed and preferred stride frequency (PSF), PSF-10%, PSF + 10%, PSF-20% and PSF + 20% were measured before and after intervention. The effects of training and stride frequencies on the energy cost of walking were analysed by an ANOVA with repeated measures. The main results showed that the exercise intervention induced a significant increase in walking speed (+23.2%), and significant decreases in body mass (-1.4%), body fat percentage (-2.1%) and energy cost of walking at various frequencies (decreases ranging from -10.5% to -20.4%, p < .05). In addition, significantly greater decreases were shown at high frequencies (p < .05). No significant differences were shown in the control group (p > .05). These results suggest that this type of training is beneficial to reduce walking energy cost of obese teenagers, in particular at high frequencies. This should improve their well-being during daily activities.

A Pilot Study of Iyengar Yoga for Pediatric Obesity: Effects on Gait and Emotional Functioning

“…The exercise component was specifically focused on improving locomotion, and included exercises such as skipping rope and jumping on different surfaces. In a different study, Delextrat et al [ 56 ] found improved biomechanics after adolescents participated in a weight loss intervention which included three 60-min sessions per week, for a period of eight weeks. In addition to other benefits, the authors found that participants’ walking speed increased by 23% and the energy cost of walking at different frequencies was decreased.…”

“…In contrast to the overall improvements observed however, we did find a reduction in velocity from pre- to post-yoga, and increases in walking speed are almost always viewed as an improvement. For example, Delextrat et al [ 56 ] found a large and significant increase in gait velocity after their weight loss intervention for youth with obesity. However, increased velocity actually increases the force on the knee [ 59 ], which could potentially put these youth at greater risk of injury.…”

Effects of integrative neuromuscular training on the gait biomechanics of children with overweight and obesity

“…We only identified three previous studies testing the effects of exercise on gait biomechanics in children and adolescents with OW/OB 8–10 . Unlike Delextrat et al, 10 we could not test changes in walking speed since we maintained the speed that children had self‐selected pre‐exercise 19,28 .…”

“…An 8‐week high‐intensity aerobic program had positive effects on gait speed and energetic efficiency in adolescents aged 13–16 years old with obesity 10 8,9 .…”

“…Exercise interventions have been proposed as a promising treatment to combat these biomechanical alterations. However, to date we are only aware of three previous studies testing the effect of exercise on biomechanical gait parameters in children and adolescents with OW/OB 8–10 …”