Plantar flexor recruitment during walking with real-time adaptive and fixed speed treadmill controllers

Use of an adaptive treadmill enables natural variation in walking speed and may be beneficial for rehabilitation applications. This study investigates the differences in plantar flexor muscle force during walking with an adaptive treadmill versus a fixed speed treadmill. While walking at self-selected (ss) speeds with the adaptive treadmill, the medial gastrocnemius (GAS) generates a lower peak force while the soleus (SOL) generates a higher peak force during late stance phase than when walking with the fixed speed treadmill. This suggests altered contributions to forward propulsion.