Biomedical subjects

A E Minetti

Publications and source records attributed to A E Minetti.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1995

Metabolic and mechanical aspects of foot landing type, forefoot and rearfoot strike, in human running.

The study was undertaken to assess the metabolic and the mechanical aspects of two different foot strike patterns in running, i.e. forefoot and rearfoot striking (FFS and RFS), and to understand whether there is some advantage for a runner to use one or the other of the two landing styles. Eight subjects performed two series of runs (FFS and RFS) on a treadmill at an average speed of 2.50, 2.78, 3.06, 3.33, 3.61, 3.89, 4.17 m s-1. Step frequency, oxygen uptake, mechanical work, and its two components, external and internal, were measured. No differences were found for step frequency, mechanical internal work per unit time and oxygen uptake, while external and total mechanical work per unit time were significantly higher, 7-12%, for FFS. The higher external work was the result of an increase of the work performed against both gravitational and inertial forces. As the energy expenditure was the same it has been speculated that a higher storage and release of energy takes place in the elastic structures of the lower leg with FFS. In a different series of experiments on six subjects contact time, time of deceleration and time of acceleration were measured by means of a video camera while running on the treadmill at 2.50, 3.33 and 4.17 m s-1, both FFS and RFS. Time of deceleration is similar for FFS and RFS, but contact time and time of acceleration are shorter, respectively 12 and 25%, for FFS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Optimum gradient of mountain paths.

By combining the experiment results of R. Margaria (Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei Memorie 7: 299-368, 1938), regarding the metabolic cost of gradient locomotion, together with recent insights on gait biomechanics, a prediction about the most economical gradient of mountain paths (approximately 25%) is obtained and interpreted. The pendulum-like mechanism of walking produces a waste of mechanical work against gravity within the gradient range of up to 15% (the overall efficiency is dominated by the low transmission efficiency), whereas for steeper values only the muscular efficiency is responsible for the (slight) metabolic change (per meter of vertical displacement) with respect to gradient. The speeds at the optimum gradient turned out to be approximately 0.65 m/s (+0.16 m/s vertical) and 1.50 m/s (-0.36 m/s vertical), for uphill and downhill walking, respectively, and the ascensional energy expenditure was 0.4 and 2.0 ml O2.kg body mass-1.vertical m-1 climbed or descended. When the metabolic power becomes a burden, as in high-altitude mountaineering, the optimum gradient should be reduced. A sample of real mountain path gradients, experimentally measured, mimics the obtained predictions.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMed1995

Effects of stride frequency on mechanical power and energy expenditure of walking.

The energetics and mechanics of walking were investigated at different speeds, both at the freely chosen stride frequency (FCSF) and at imposed ones (up to +/- 40% of FCSF). Metabolic energy expenditure was minimized at FCSF for each speed. Motion analysis allowed to calculate: the mechanical internal work rate (Wint), needed to move the segments with respect to the body center of mass (bcm); the external work rate (Wext), necessary to move bcm in the environment; and the total work rate (Wtot), equal to Wint+Wext. Wtot explains the metabolic optimization only at high speeds, while Wext, differently from previously reported, displays minima which better predict FCSF at all speeds (exception made for 1.39 m.s-1). This is probably caused by an overestimation of Wint due to a more ballistic movement of the limbs at low speeds (and low frequencies). The tendency of Wext to increase at high frequencies is due to a persistent minimal vertical excursion of bcm (about 0.02 m, the "locomotory dead space"). While the match between mechanics and energetics (at FCSF and imposed frequencies) occurs to a certain extent, it could be improved by removing the methodological assumptions about the energy transfer between segments and by the possibility to account for the coactivation of antagonist muscles.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Contraction dynamics in antagonist muscles.

By taking into account the torque/angle and the torque/angular speed relationships of antagonist muscles acting across a joint it is possible to predict the contraction dynamics when they are simultaneously activated at a constant level. The simulation is displayed in a "phase-plane" where trajectories for each starting condition (angle--abscissa, angular speed--ordinate) represent the contraction dynamics. The results vary in the position of attractors, repulsors and trajectory shapes. Attractor points (at zero speed) have particular significance in joint stabilization. It was found that with certain reciprocal torque/angle relationships of antagonist muscles, a range of stable joint angles can be quickly reached just by selecting the proper group activation level. A given ratio between the activation levels selects the stable joint angle (attractor) while the overall amplitude will set the joint stiffness in that position. Thus a hypothesized control system should choose just two neural activation amplitudes (time-course considerations are unnecessary), with a reduction of the information needed to stiffen the joint. Furthermore, even ignoring the effects of joint friction, the trajectories toward attractors showed a tendency to cross the zero speed boundary no more than once, resembling the behaviour of an overdamped spring-dashpot system. A couple of testing simulations demonstrated that the combination of non-linear torque/angle and torque/speed relationships is essential to avoid tremor-like paths about the equilibrium and to quickly stiffen the joint. Other aspects related to co-contractions are discussed in the paper.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMed1994

Pygmy locomotion.

The hypothesis that Pygmies may differ from Caucasians in some aspects of the mechanics of locomotion was tested. A total of 13 Pygmies and 7 Caucasians were asked to walk and run on a treadmill at 4-12 km.h-1. Simultaneous metabolic measurements and three-dimensional motion analysis were performed allowing the energy expenditure and the mechanical external and internal work to be calculated. In Pygmies the metabolic energy cost was higher during walking at all speeds (P < 0.05), but tended to be lower during running (NS). The stride frequency and the internal mechanical work were higher for Pygmies at all walking (P < 0.05) and running (NS) speeds although the external mechanical work was similar. The total mechanical work for Pygmies was higher during walking (P < 0.05), but not during running and the efficiency of locomotion was similar in all subjects and speeds. The higher cost of walking in Pygmies is consistent with the allometric prediction for smaller subjects. The major determinants of the higher cost of walking was the difference in stride frequency (+9.45, SD 0.44% for Pygmies), which affected the mechanical internal work. This explains the observed higher total mechanical work of walking in Pygmies, even when the external component was the same. Most of the differences between Pygmies and Caucasians, observed during walking, tended to disappear when the speed was normalized as the Froude number. However, this was not the case for running. Thus, whereas the tested hypothesis must be rejected for walking, the data from running, do indeed suggest that Pygmies may differ in some aspects of the mechanics of locomotion.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

A model for the estimation of visceral mass displacement in periodic movements.

This study suggests a method that, on the basis of concurrent cinematographic and dynamometric measurements, detects the motion of the visceral part of the body, provided that an estimate of its mass has been given in advance and the periodicity of the system dynamics can be assumed. The mathematical model provides equations for both vertical and horizontal displacements of the visceral mass, so that they can be used either separately or in combination to detect its one-, two- and three-dimensional trajectories. To test the model predictions, an external load has been periodically raised and lowered by a subject while standing on a dynamometric platform, and its vertical movement has been estimated accurately. A further experiment on hopping in place (without loads) reveals that the internal visceral mass (assumed equal to about 9 kg) oscillates out-of-phase with respect to the body frame, with a vertical range of about 0.05-0.08 m. A discussion on the possible sources of experimental inaccuracy is included. Also discussed are the applications of the model to work calculations in periodic movements as hopping, walking and running, as well as in investigations about locomotion-respiration coupling.

Acceleration↗

PubMed1994

The transition between walking and running in humans: metabolic and mechanical aspects at different gradients.

Five subjects walked and ran at overlapping speeds and different gradients on a motorized treadmill. At each gradient the speed was obtained at which walking and running have the same metabolic cost (Sm) and the speed of spontaneous (Ss) transition between the two gaits was measured. Ss was found to be statistically lower than Sm at all gradients, the difference being in the range of 0.5-0.9 km h-1. The motion analysis of walking reveals that at all gradients and at increasing speed: (1) the percentage of recovery, an index of mechanical energy saving related to the pendulum-like characteristic of walking, decreases; (2) the lower limb spread reaches a limit in walking; and consequently (3) both the stride frequency and the internal mechanical work, due to limb acceleration in relation to the body centre of mass, increase much more in walking than in running. Switching to a run, although implying a higher frequency, makes the internal work decrease as a result of the lower limb spread. In this paper several influences, such as the 'ratings of perceived exertion' (RPE), on the choice of beginning to run when it is more economical to walk, are discussed. A tentative hypothesis on the determinants of Ss, which is emphasized to be a speed which has to be studied in detail but is generally avoided in locomotion, is based on a comfort criterion from peripheric afferences and is reflected by the fact that at Ss a running stride costs as much as a walking stride.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Mechanical determinants of the minimum energy cost of gradient running in humans.

The metabolic cost and the mechanical work of running at different speeds and gradients were measured on five human subjects. The mechanical work was partitioned into the internal work (Wint) due to the speed changes of body segments with respect to the body centre of mass and the external work (Wext) due to the position and speed changes of the body centre of mass in the environment. Wext was further divided into a positive part (W+ext) and a negative part (W-ext), associated with the energy increases and decreases, respectively, over the stride period. For all constant speeds, the most economical gradient was -10.6 +/-0.5% (S.D., N = 5) with a metabolic cost of 146.8 +/- 3.8 ml O2 kg-1 km-1. At each gradient, there was a unique W+ext/W-ext ratio (which was 1 in level running), irrespective of speed, with a tendency for W-ext and W+ext to disappear above a gradient of +30% and below a gradient of -30%, respectively. Wint was constant within each speed from a gradient of -15% to level running. This was the result of a nearly constant stride frequency at all negative gradients. The constancy of Wint within this gradient range implies that Wint has no role in determining the optimum gradient. The metabolic cost C was predicted from the mechanical experimental data according to the following equation: [formula: see text] where eff- (0.80), eff+ (0.18) and effi (0.30) are the efficiencies of W-ext, W+ext and Wint, respectively, and el- and el+ represent the amounts of stored and released elastic energy, which are assumed to be 55J step-1. The predicted C versus gradient curve coincides with the curve obtained from metabolic measurements. We conclude that W+ext/W-ext partitioning and the eff+/eff- ratio, i.e. the different efficiency of the muscles during acceleration and braking, explain the metabolic optimum gradient for running of about -10%.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Mechanical determinants of gradient walking energetics in man.

1. The metabolic cost and the mechanical work at different speeds during uphill, level and downhill walking have been measured in four subjects. 2. The mechanical work has been partitioned into the internal work (W(int)), due to the speed changes of body segment with respect to the body centre of mass (BCM), and the external work (W(ext)), related to the position and speed changes of the BCM in the environment. 3. W(ext) has been further divided into a positive part W+ext) and a negative one (W-(ext)), associated with the energy increases and decreases, respectively, over the stride period. 4. For all constant speeds the most economical gradient has been found to be -10.2% (+/- 0.8 S.D.). 5. At each gradient there is a unique W+ext/W-ext ratio (= 1 in level walking), regardless of speed, with a tendency for W-ext and W+ext to vanish above +15% and below -15% gradient, respectively. 6. W(int) is constant at each speed regardless of gradient. This is partly explained by an only slight decrease in stride frequency at increasing gradient. W(int) constancy implies that it has no role in determining the optimum gradient. 7. A linear multiple regression relating W+ext and W-ext to the metabolic cost at different gradients showed that negative (eff-) and positive (eff+) efficiencies decrease with increasing speed (from 0.912 to 0.726, and from 0.182 to 0.146, respectively). The eff-/eff+ ratio, however, remains rather constant (4.995 +/- 0.125 S.D.). 8. We conclude that the measured W(ext), the W+ext/W-ext partitioning and eff-/eff+ ratio, i.e. the different efficiency of the muscles used as force and brake generators, can explain the metabolic optimum gradient at about -10%.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Assessment of human knee extensor muscles stress from in vivo physiological cross-sectional area and strength measurements.

The physiological cross-sectional areas (CSAp) of the vastus lateralis (VL), vastus intermedius (VI), vastus medialis (VM) and rectus femoris (RF) were obtained, in vivo, from the reconstructed muscle volumes, angles of pennation and distance between tendons of six healthy male volunteers by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In all subjects, the isometric maximum voluntary contraction strength (MVC) was measured at the optimum angle at which peak force occurred. The MVC developed at the ankle was 746.0 (SD 141.8) N and its tendon component (Ft), given by a mechanical advantage of 0.117 (SD 0.010), was 6.367 (SD 1.113) kN. To calculate the force acting along the fibres (Ff) of each muscle, Ft was divided by the cosine of the angle of pennation and multiplied for (CSAp.sigma CSAp-1), where sigma CSAp was the sum of CSAp of the four muscles. The resulting Ff values of VL, VI, VM and RF were: 1.452 (SD 0.531) kN, 1.997 (SD 0.187) kN, 1.914 (SD 0.827) kN, and 1.601 (SD 0.306) kN, respectively. The stress of each muscle was obtained by dividing these forces for the respective CSAp which was: 6.24 x 10(-3) (SD 2.54 x 10(-3)) m2 for VL, 8.35 x 10(-3) (SD 1.17 x 10(-3)) m2 for VI, 6.80 x 10(-3) (SD 2.66 x 10(-3)) m2 for VM and 6.62 x 10(-3) (SD 1.21 x 10(-3)) m2 for RF. The mean value of stress of VL, VI, VM and RF was 250 (SD 19) kN m-2; this value is in good agreement with data on animal muscle and those on human parallel-fibred muscle.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Mechanical work rate minimization and freely chosen stride frequency of human walking: a mathematical model.

The interplay between the work done to move the body centre of mass with respect to the environment (external work) and the work done to move the limbs with respect to the body (internal work) has been shown experimentally partially to determine the freely chosen stride frequency during walking. A mathematical model that estimates the two components of the mechanical work is proposed. The model, according to the criterion of work rate minimization (both positive and positive plus negative), is able to predict the natural stride frequency as a function of the average progression speed. The adequacy of the model and the validity of the assumptions have been checked against measurements of natural stride frequency in 11 subjects walking on a treadmill at several speeds (range 1-3 m s-1). Comparison with theoretical predictions shows good agreement with the minimization of positive work rate at low speeds, while at high speeds the stride frequency is better explained by the model for minimum positive plus negative work rate.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMed1990

Oxygen transport system before and after exposure to chronic hypoxia.

Maximal VO2 on the treadmill (VO2max) and on the bicycle ergometer (VO2peak), maximal cardiac output (Qmax), by a CO2 rebreathing method, maximal heart rate (HRmax), blood hemoglobin concentration (Hb), and hematocrit (Hct) were measured on six subjects before (B) and 3 weeks after (A) prolonged exposure to chronic hypoxia. It was observed that after high-altitude exposure VO2max, VO2peak, and Qmax were lower (P less than 005) than before [A: 4.13 +/- 0.67; 3.28 +/- 0.41 and 16.89 +/- 2.49 (l/min +/- SD); B: 4.39 +/- 0.39; 3.53 +/- 0.34 and 21.81 +/- 1.27, respectively], whereas Hb and Hct were larger (A: 162 +/- 8 g/l and 0.46 +/- 0.02; B: 142 +/- 7 and 0.41 +/- 0.02) and HRmax was unchanged (178 +/- 7 vs 175 +/- 9 bts/min). Thus, the calculated stroke volume of the heart and the Hb flow at VO2 peak were lower in A than in B (95 +/- 15 vs 124 +/- 7 ml and 2,723 +/- 307 vs 3,129 +/- 196 g/min) (P less than 0.05, respectively), whereas the arteriovenous O2 difference was greater in A than in B (195 +/- 16 vs 162 +/- 19 ml O2/l; P less than 0.05). At any given submaximal work load, VO2 and HR were the same in B and in A, whereas Q was lower in A by approximately 2-3 l/min. However, because of the increased Hb, leading to a higher arterial O2 content, at any work load the O2 flow remained unchanged.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1989

Changes in force, cross-sectional area and neural activation during strength training and detraining of the human quadriceps.

Four male subjects aged 23-34 years were studied during 60 days of unilateral strength training and 40 days of detraining. Training was carried out four times a week and consisted of six series of ten maximal isokinetic knee extensions at an angular velocity of 2.09 rad.s-1. At the start and at every 20th day of training and detraining, isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), integrated electromyographic activity (iEMG) and quadriceps muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) assessed at seven fractions of femur length (Lf), by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, were measured on both trained (T) and untrained (UT) legs. Isokinetic torques at 30 degrees before full knee extension were measured before and at the end of training at: 0, 1.05, 2.09, 3.14, 4.19, 5.24 rad.s-1. After 60 days T leg CSA had increased by 8.5% +/- 1.4% (mean +/- SEM, n = 4, p less than 0.001), iEMG by 42.4% +/- 16.5% (p less than 0.01) and MVC by 20.8% +/- 5.4% (p less than 0.01). Changes during detraining had a similar time course to those of training. No changes in UT leg CSA were observed while iEMG and MVC increased by 24.8% +/- 10% (N.S.) and 8.7% +/- 4.3% (N.S.), respectively. The increase in quadriceps muscle CSA was maximal at 2/10 Lf (12.0% +/- 1.5%, p less than 0.01) and minimal, proximally to the knee, at 8/10 Lf (3.5% +/- 1.2%, N.S.). Preferential hypertrophy of the vastus medialis and intermedius muscles compared to those of the rectus femoris and lateralis muscles was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Respiratory airflow pattern in patients with chronic airway obstruction.

Previous experimental evidence has shown that in healthy humans inspiratory airflow waveform can be optimized according to minimum rate of work criteria when the respiratory energetic requirements become a substantial fraction of the general metabolism (i.e., during exercise hyperpnea and maximum voluntary ventilation). In patients with chronic airway obstruction (CAO) the relative energetic expenditure devoted to respiration is also greatly enhanced at rest. To investigate the performance of a system also controlling airflow wave pattern in this condition we evaluated by Fourier analysis the harmonic content of respiratory flow waves recorded at rest and during exercise hyperpnea (25 and 50 W on cycloergometer) in 15 patients. The results were compared with those we previously obtained in normal subjects and with some theoretical models. It was found that, while normal subjects display at rest an inspiratory flow waveform reasonably close to a sinusoidal model and adopt a more rectangular and economical flow shape during exercise hyperpnea, patients with CAO show a rather rectangular inspiratory flow shape also at rest, without any remarkable change at higher levels of ventilation. So, in general terms, the airflow pattern employed by patients at rest entails a reduction in the rate of dynamic inspiratory work of about 12% over that required by a sinusoidal waveform, and no further advantage is observed during exercise hyperpnea. Some features of the expiratory flow wave were also analysed. As no model of the respiratory system mechanics presently developed can explain the findings obtained in CAO patients purely on the basis of their altered mechanical parameters, it has been suggested that more complex control of respiratory airflow is operating in this class of patient.

Female↗

PubMed1984

Inspiratory flow pattern in humans.

The theoretical estimation of the mechanical work of breathing during inspiration at rest is based on the common assumption that the inspiratory airflow wave is a sine function of time. Different analytical studies have pointed out that from an energetic point of view a rectangular wave is more economical than a sine wave. Visual inspection of inspiratory flow waves recorded during exercise in humans and various animals suggests that a trend toward a rectangular flow wave may be a possible systematic response of the respiratory system. To test this hypothesis, the harmonic content of inspiratory flow waves that were recorded in six healthy subjects at rest, during exercise hyperventilation, and during a maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) maneuver were evaluated by a Fourier analysis, and the results were compared with those obtained on sinusoidal and rectangular models. The dynamic work inherent in the experimental waves and in the sine-wave model was practically the same at rest; during exercise hyperventilation and MVV, the experimental wave was approximately 16-20% more economical than the sinusoidal one. It was concluded that even though at rest the sinusoidal model is a reasonably good approximation of inspiratory flow, during exercise and MVV, a physiological controller is probably operating in humans that can select a more economical inspiratory pattern. Other peculiarities of airflow wave during hyperventilation and some optimization criteria are also discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Invariant aspects of human locomotion in different gravitational environments.

Previous literature showed that walking gait follows the same mechanical paradigm, i.e. the straight/inverted pendulum, regardless the body size, the number of legs, and the amount of gravity acceleration. The Froude number, a dimensionless parameter originally designed to normalize the same (pendulum-like) motion in differently sized subjects, proved to be useful also in the comparison, within the same subject, of walking in heterogravity. In this paper the theory of dynamic similarity is tested by comparing the predictive power of the Froude number in terms of walking speed to previously published data on walking in hypogravity simulators. It is concluded that the Froude number is a good first predictor of the optimal walking speed and of the transition speed between walking and running in different gravitational conditions. According to the Froude number a dynamically similar walking speed on another planet can be calculated as [formula: see text] where V(Earth) is the reference speed on Earth.

Acceleration↗