Abstract

Ten volunteer subjects (X age = 26.6 +/- 4.9 years, x height = 177.9 +/5.6 cm, and x weight = 76.9 +/- 11.2 kg) who had been wearing the Lenox Hill Derotation Brace (LHB) for a mean time of 23.9 +/- 28.0 months were familiarized with horizontal treadmill running at 161 m/min with and without the LHB. They were then tested randomly for four runs, two with the LHB and two without the LHB. Metabolic measurements using a device that counted footstrikes on the treadmill were taken during the 3rd and 6th minutes of each run. Regardless of sampling time, wearing the LHB produced significantly higher values for VO2 (4.58, P<0.025) and heart rate (5.10, P<0.004) compared to the no brace condition. Regardless of whether or not the subjects were wearing the LHB, 6 minute values were significantly higher than 3 minute values for VO2 (5.89, Py0.0004), VE (10.08, Py0.004), heart rate (5.35, P<0.0000), and R (2.17, P<0.038). The mean 6 minute values of VO2 with (37.42 +/- 3.55 ml/kg/min) and without (35.54 +/- 2.17 ml/kg/min) the brace fall within the range of expected values of 28.1 to 39.3 ml/kg/min derived from regression equations from the literature which predict VO2 response to horizontal treadmill running. Mean stride lengths while wearing the LHB (97.85 cm) were not significantly different from mean stride lengths without the LHB (98.56 cm). It is concluded that wearing the LHB produces a 4.58 increase in energy expenditure during horizontal treadmill running at 161 m/min which cannot be attributed to changes in stride strength or to time of sampling during the run. Verf.-Referat