How fast is a person moving during split-belt treadmill walking? Insights from center of mass velocity and stride speed.
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| Title: | How fast is a person moving during split-belt treadmill walking? Insights from center of mass velocity and stride speed. |
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| Authors: | Sánchez, Natalia1,2 (AUTHOR), Stenum, Jan1,3 (AUTHOR) jstenum1@jhmi.edu |
| Source: | Journal of Biomechanics. Jan2026, Vol. 195, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. |
| Subjects: | Center of mass, Walking speed, Locomotor control, Metabolism, Treadmills, Musculoskeletal system, Motor learning |
| Abstract: | Split-belt treadmill walking has contributed to our understanding of human locomotor adaptation and motor learning. On the split-belt treadmill, each limb walks on a belt moving at a different speed. An obvious question is: how fast is a person walking on a split-belt treadmill? This question has implications for metabolic and mechanical energy consumption, stability, and neuromotor adaptation. There are two interpretations of this question that provide different answers and implications. First, how fast a person is walking can be interpreted as the center of mass velocity, which is a vector of the rate of displacement in the three directions of an inertial reference frame. The center of mass velocity is zero on average in a global reference frame and oscillates throughout the gait cycle, providing information about mechanical and stability demands. Second, how fast a person is walking can be interpreted as stride speed, which is a scalar defined as stride length divided by stride time. Stride speed is constrained by the split-belt treadmill to the average belt speed, subtracted by the interaction between belt speed difference and step time asymmetry. Thus, stride speed is slower than the average speed of the belts due to modifications in step time asymmetry. Here, we provide a framework for calculating and contextualizing these two quantities, highlighting their implications for recent work in split-belt adaptation. We suggest that the design and interpretation of future split-belt adaptation studies can benefit from careful consideration of the analyses presented here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Biomechanics is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 190884954 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: How fast is a person moving during split-belt treadmill walking? Insights from center of mass velocity and stride speed. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sánchez%2C+Natalia%22">Sánchez, Natalia</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stenum%2C+Jan%22">Stenum, Jan</searchLink><relatesTo>1,3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> jstenum1@jhmi.edu</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Biomechanics%22">Journal of Biomechanics</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 195, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Center+of+mass%22">Center of mass</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Walking+speed%22">Walking speed</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Locomotor+control%22">Locomotor control</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metabolism%22">Metabolism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Treadmills%22">Treadmills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Musculoskeletal+system%22">Musculoskeletal system</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motor+learning%22">Motor learning</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Split-belt treadmill walking has contributed to our understanding of human locomotor adaptation and motor learning. On the split-belt treadmill, each limb walks on a belt moving at a different speed. An obvious question is: how fast is a person walking on a split-belt treadmill? This question has implications for metabolic and mechanical energy consumption, stability, and neuromotor adaptation. There are two interpretations of this question that provide different answers and implications. First, how fast a person is walking can be interpreted as the center of mass velocity, which is a vector of the rate of displacement in the three directions of an inertial reference frame. The center of mass velocity is zero on average in a global reference frame and oscillates throughout the gait cycle, providing information about mechanical and stability demands. Second, how fast a person is walking can be interpreted as stride speed, which is a scalar defined as stride length divided by stride time. Stride speed is constrained by the split-belt treadmill to the average belt speed, subtracted by the interaction between belt speed difference and step time asymmetry. Thus, stride speed is slower than the average speed of the belts due to modifications in step time asymmetry. Here, we provide a framework for calculating and contextualizing these two quantities, highlighting their implications for recent work in split-belt adaptation. We suggest that the design and interpretation of future split-belt adaptation studies can benefit from careful consideration of the analyses presented here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Biomechanics is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=190884954 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113099 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 1 StartPage: N.PAG Subjects: – SubjectFull: Center of mass Type: general – SubjectFull: Walking speed Type: general – SubjectFull: Locomotor control Type: general – SubjectFull: Metabolism Type: general – SubjectFull: Treadmills Type: general – SubjectFull: Musculoskeletal system Type: general – SubjectFull: Motor learning Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: How fast is a person moving during split-belt treadmill walking? Insights from center of mass velocity and stride speed. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Sánchez, Natalia – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Stenum, Jan IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 15 M: 01 Text: Jan2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00219290 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 195 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Biomechanics Type: main |
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