Obesity-related alterations in anticipatory postural mechanisms associated with gait initiation.

Obesity is known to have a detrimental effect on balance and motor performance during daily motor tasks. However, it remains unclear whether these obesity-related impairments are due to deficient anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) that precede voluntary movement. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of obesity on APA and the impacts related on motor performance and mediolateral postural stability during gait initiation.

Effects of Changing Body Weight Distribution on Mediolateral Stability Control during Gait Initiation.

During gait initiation, anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) precede the execution of the first step. It is generally acknowledged that these APA contribute to forward progression but also serve to stabilize the whole body in the mediolateral direction during step execution. Although previous studies have shown that changes in the distribution of body weight between both legs influence motor performance during gait initiation, it is not known whether and how such changes affect a person's postural stability during this task.

Does an additional load modify the Anticipatory Postural Adjustments in gait initiation?

The objective of the study was to examine whether and how an additional load affects the Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APA) in gait initiation in able-bodied individuals. Nineteen healthy participants initiated gait at a self-selected speed in two conditions: unloaded and with an overload of 15% body weight. The APA duration, the forward impulse of the APA and the duration of gait initiation increased significantly with the overload, while the other variables did not change.