/OBJECTIVES: Walking-induced fatigue disrupts postural balance, but the differentiated effects of walking uphill and downhill remain unclear. The aim was to compare the impact of two walking sequences, either uphill (+10%) or downhill (-20%), with an identical number of steps (7000 steps) on a treadmill at 5.5 km·h -1 on postural balance.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable change for audiology practice; findings are relevant to vestibular rehabilitation researchers studying how different fatigue types affect postural control.
Understanding which physical activities most disrupt postural balance informs the design of safe and effective vestibular and balance rehabilitation exercise programs.
- 01Both uphill and downhill walking fatigue caused similar overall degradation of postural balance.
- 02The physiological mechanisms disrupting balance differed between uphill and downhill conditions.
- 03Results have implications for structuring exercise intensity in balance rehabilitation.
- 04Comparative study design allows direct within-subject or between-group inference.
- 05Findings extend knowledge about fatigue-induced postural instability beyond simple exertion level.
Uphill and downhill walking-induced fatigue disrupt postural balance to a similar degree.
studysupportedThe physiological mechanisms underlying postural disruption differ between uphill and downhill fatigue.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42651167
- DOI
- 10.3390/brainsci16080857.
- Journal
- Brain Sciences
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Healthy or ambulatory adults undergoing treadmill fatigue protocols
- Intervention
- Uphill walking-induced fatigue
- Comparator
- Downhill walking-induced fatigue
Primary outcomes
Postural balance performance after fatigue; Physiological mechanisms of postural disruption