Kinematic and Electromyographic Evaluation of Locomotion on the Enhanced Zero-Gravity Locomotion Simulator: A Comparison of External Loading Mechanisms

0.46 MB·English

by  DeWitt, John K.

NASA/TP-2007-214764

Kinematic and Electromyographic Evaluation
of Locomotion on the Enhanced Zero-gravity
Locomotion Simulator: A Comparison of
External Loading Mechanisms

John K. De Witt1,6
Gail P. Perusek4,7
Jason Bentley3,6
W. Brent Edwards3,6
Kelly M. Gilkey4,7
Beth E. Lewandowski4,7
Sergey Samorezov5,7
Mark C. Savina5,7
R. Donald Hagan2,6

1Bergaila Engineering Services, Houston, TX, USA
2NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
3Wyle Life Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
4NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
5ZIN Technologies, Cleveland, OH, USA
6Exercise Physiology Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
7Exercise Countermeasures Laboratory, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

January 2008
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NASA/TP-2007-214764

Kinematic and Electromyographic Evaluation of
Locomotion on the Enhanced Zero-gravity
Locomotion Simulator: A Comparison of
External Loading Mechanisms

John K. De Witt1,6
Gail P. Perusek4,7
Jason Bentley3,6
W. Brent Edwards3,6
Kelly M. Gilkey4,7
Beth E. Lewandowski4,7
Sergey Samorezov5,7
Mark C. Savina5,7
R. Donald Hagan2,6

1Bergaila Engineering Services, Houston, TX, USA
2NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
3Wyle Life Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
4NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
5ZIN Technologies, Cleveland, OH, USA
6Exercise Physiology Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
7Exercise Countermeasures Laboratory, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

January 2008
Available from:

NASA Center for AeroSpace Information National Technical Information Service
7115 Standard Drive 5285 Port Royal Road
Hanover, MD 21076-1320 Springfield, VA 22161
301-621-0390 703-605-6000

This report is also available in electronic form at http://ston.jsc.nasa.gov/collections/TRS/
Dedication

This work is dedicated to the memory of R. Donald Hagan, who left this world during the completion of this
report. His mentoring, trust, and encouragement is evident in this paper, along with all of the reports
published by anyone who worked in the NASA-Johnson Space Center Exercise Physiology Laboratory
under his leadership. His memory lives on in this research.

Table of Contents

Abstract ...............................................................................................................................1
1.0 Introduction............................................................................................................2
1.1 Background and Significance 2
1.2 Purpose and Hypotheses 3
2.0 Methods.................................................................................................................4
2.1 Human Subjects 4
2.2 Data Collection 4
2.3 Instrumentation 5
2.4 Experimental Protocol 7
2.5 Data Analysis 8
2.6 Statistical Analysis 10
3.0 Results..................................................................................................................10
4.0 Discussion............................................................................................................24
4.1 Summary of Results 24
4.2 Effect of External Loading Mechanism Upon Locomotion 25
4.3 Limitations 26
4.4 Summary and Conclusions 26
5.0 References............................................................................................................27
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List of Tables

Table 1. Subject Demographics (Mean ± SD).....................................................................4
Table 2. EL values for all loading conditions and types in microgravity
and on the eZLS (Mean ± SD)...............................................................................7
Table 3. Hip, knee and ankle minimum, maximum and ROM angles
during walking and running on the eZLS while loaded with
bungees and the eZLS while loaded with the LM-SLD at low
and high EL (Mean ± SD)....................................................................................12
Table 4. Trunk, thigh, shank and foot minimum, maximum and ROM
angles during walking on the eZLS while loaded with bungees
and with the LM-SLD at low and high EL (Mean ± SD)....................................13
Table 5. Trunk, thigh, shank and foot minimum, maximum and ROM
angles during running on the eZLS while loaded with bungees
and with the LM-SLD at low and high EL (Mean ± SD)....................................14
Table 6. Contact time and stride time during walking and running on the
eZLS with bungees and the LM-SLD at low and high EL (Mean
± SD)....................................................................................................................15
Table 7. Peak impact force, peak propulsive force, loading rate and
impulse during walking and running on the eZLS at low and
high EL (Mean ± SD)..........................................................................................16
Table 8. Rectus femoris activity during walking and running on the eZLS
at low and high EL with bungees and the LM-SLD at low and
high EL (Mean ± SD)..........................................................................................19
Table 9. Tibialis anterior activity during walking and running on the
eZLS at low and high EL with bungees and the LM-SLD at low
and high EL (Mean ± SD)....................................................................................20
Table 10. Gluteus maximus activity during walking and running on the
eZLS at low and high EL with bungees and the LM-SLD at low
and high EL (Mean ± SD)....................................................................................21
Table 11. Biceps femoris activity during walking and running on the eZLS
at low and high EL with bungees and the LM-SLD at low and
high EL (Mean ± SD)..........................................................................................22
Table 12. Gastrocnemius activity during walking and running on the eZLS
at low and high EL with bungees and the LM-SLD at low and
high EL (Mean ± SD)..........................................................................................23
Table 13. Summary of the significant main effects of EL type within EL
level upon all dependent variables during walking and running
(p<0.05). B=Bungees...........................................................................................24
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List of Figures

Figure 1. Astronaut exercising on a treadmill onboard the International
Space Station..........................................................................................................2
Figure 2. Typical data collection on the eZLS......................................................................4
Figure 3. Typical subject setup on the eZLS, including motion capture
marker and EMG electrode placement..................................................................6
Figure 4. Linear motor subject loading device incorporated into the eZLS..........................7
Figure 5. Typical running ground reaction force and dependent variables...........................8
Figure 6. Joint ensemble average trajectories for a single stride for a single
subject during walking and running on the eZLS while loaded
with bungees and LM-SLD..................................................................................11
Figure 7. Typical EMG activity for the lower extremity muscles during
walking on the eZLS with a low EL....................................................................17
Figure 8. Typical EMG activity for the lower extremity muscles during
walking on the eZLS with a high EL...................................................................17
Figure 9. Typical EMG activity for the lower extremity muscles during
running on the eZLS with a low EL.....................................................................18
Figure 10. Typical EMG activity for the lower extremity muscles during
running on the eZLS with a high EL...................................................................18

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