Operating length and velocity of human vastus lateralis muscle during walking and running

Böhm, Sebastian; Marzilger, Robert; Mersmann, Falk; Santuz, Alessandro; Arampatzis, Adamantios

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-23376-5

Cited by 84 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Recently, the functional indexing methods used here were combined with computational simulations of human walking to derive muscle-and MTU-specific mechanical functions and found that the biarticular rectus femoris acts more like a damper while the uniarticular vastus lateralis acts more like a spring (Lai et al, 2019). In line with this, evidence recently emerged highlighting the importance of series elastic elementsand thus, the spring-like capacityof the vastus lateralis during human locomotion (Bohm et al, 2018). Those authors were surprised to find that muscle fibers in the vastus lateralis acted near isometrically while walking at 1.5 m s −1 , suggesting that much of the mechanical work at the joint was being performed via spring-like behavior.…”

Section: Anklesupporting

confidence: 55%

Lower extremity joints and muscle groups in the human locomotor system alter mechanical functions to meet task demand

Kuhman

Hurt

2019

Journal of Experimental Biology

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To facilitate movement through mechanically complex environments, terrestrial animals have evolved locomotor systems capable of flexibly altering internal mechanics to meet external demands. They do this by shifting imposed workloads between joints/muscle groups (central mechanical flexibility) and/or by altering the function of individual joints/ muscle groups (local mechanical flexibility). In human locomotion research, central mechanical flexibility is well established and regularly reported. Local mechanical flexibility at major lower extremity joints and muscle groups, however, has received relatively less attention. We used an emerging biomechanical analysis known as functional indexing to test the hypothesis that lower extremity joints and muscle groups within the human locomotor system alter their mechanical function to meet altered locomotor demands. Thirteen healthy adults walked across a range of speeds (0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 m s −1 ) and slopes (0 deg, +5 deg, +10 deg) to determine whether hip, knee and ankle joints and their extensors and flexors altered their mechanical function in response to increased speed and slope. As walking speed increased, the knee and its extensors altered their function to behave more like mechanical springs while the ankle and its extensors altered their function to behave more like motors. As slope increased, all three joints and their extensors decreased spring-and damper-like behavior and increased motor-like behavior. Our results indicate that humanssimilarly to many other terrestrial animalsutilize local mechanical flexibility to meet the demands of the locomotor task at hand.

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Section: Anklesupporting

confidence: 55%

Lower extremity joints and muscle groups in the human locomotor system alter mechanical functions to meet task demand

Kuhman

Hurt

2019

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Rather, that the tendinous element facilitates lengthening and the fascicles remain closer to isometric. However, it should be noted that this proposal is based on evidence from other lower limb muscles 57,58 and animal studies, 59 and at this time, there is no direct evidence for this theory in the human hamstring muscles during running. Quasi-isometric fascicle behavior has been previously observed during highspeed running at the ankle plantar-flexor complex and also in the vastus lateralis.…”

Section: Musculotendon Length Changesmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Quasi-isometric fascicle behavior has been previously observed during highspeed running at the ankle plantar-flexor complex and also in the vastus lateralis. 57,58 While we cannot assume that this fascicle behavior applies also to the hamstrings during running, it may suggest that these phenomena are plausible. Further, both Chumanov et al 50 and Thelen et al 49 have differentiated BFlh muscle and tendon contributions to lengthening using musculo-skeletal modeling, and predicted small discrepancies in lengthening patterns between the two elements.…”

Section: Musculotendon Length Changesmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…However, it should be noted that this proposal is based on evidence from other lower limb muscles and animal studies, and at this time, there is no direct evidence for this theory in the human hamstring muscles during running. Quasi‐isometric fascicle behavior has been previously observed during high‐speed running at the ankle plantar‐flexor complex and also in the vastus lateralis . While we cannot assume that this fascicle behavior applies also to the hamstrings during running, it may suggest that these phenomena are plausible.…”

Section: Musculotendon Length Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Late swing or early stance? A narrative review of hamstring injury mechanisms during high‐speed running

Kenneally-Dabrowski

Brown

Lai

et al. 2019

Scandinavian Med Sci Sports

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Hamstring injuries are highly prevalent in many running‐based sports, and predominantly affect the long head of biceps femoris. Re‐injury rates are also high and together lead to considerable time lost from sport. However, the mechanisms for hamstring injury during high‐speed running are still not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of this review was to summarize the current literature describing hamstring musculotendon mechanics and electromyography activity during high‐speed running, and how they may relate to injury risk. The large eccentric contraction, characterized by peak musculotendon strain and negative work during late swing phase is widely suggested to be potentially injurious. However, it is also argued that high hamstring loads resulting from large joint torques and ground reaction forces during early stance may cause injury. While direct evidence is still lacking, the majority of the literature suggests that the most likely timing of injury is the late swing phase. Future research should aim to prospectively examine the relationship between hamstring musculotendon dynamics and hamstring injury.

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“…This might be an indication of the double function of this muscle: knee extensor and hip flexor. In fact, in the weight acceptance phase of the gait cycle, the quadriceps muscle group is known to aid the deceleration and support of the body mass, acting in a quasi-isometric way at the muscle fascicle level [63]. In the early swing phase, the 305 iliopsoas (iliacus and psoas) muscle group is one of the major contributors to the hip flexion, which starts right after the lift-off and continues for around three quarters of the swing phase [64][65][66][67][68].…”

Section: Fast Locomotion Requires Different Muscle Contributionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower complexity of motor primitives ensures robust control of high-speed human locomotion

Santuz

Ekizos

Kunimasa

et al. 2020

Preprint

Self Cite

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Walking and running are mechanically and energetically different locomotion modes. For selecting one or another, speed is a parameter of paramount importance. Yet, both are likely controlled by similar low-dimensional neuronal networks that reflect in patterned muscle activations called muscle synergies. Here, we investigated how humans synergistically activate 25 muscles during locomotion at different submaximal and maximal speeds. We analysed the duration and complexity (or irregularity) over time of motor primitives, the temporal components of muscle synergies. We found that the challenge imposed by controlling high-speed locomotion forces the central nervous system to produce muscle activation patterns that are wider and less complex relative to the duration of the gait cycle. The motor modules, or time-independent 30 coefficients, were redistributed as locomotion speed changed. These outcomes show that robust locomotion control at challenging speeds is achieved by modulating the relative contribution of muscle activations and producing less complex and wider control signals, whereas slow speeds allow for more irregular control. 35

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Operating length and velocity of human vastus lateralis muscle during walking and running

Cited by 84 publications

References 56 publications

Lower extremity joints and muscle groups in the human locomotor system alter mechanical functions to meet task demand

Lower extremity joints and muscle groups in the human locomotor system alter mechanical functions to meet task demand

Late swing or early stance? A narrative review of hamstring injury mechanisms during high‐speed running

Lower complexity of motor primitives ensures robust control of high-speed human locomotion

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