Date of Award

8-2024

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Committee Chair

Dr. Tanner Austin Thorsen

Committee Chair School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Committee Member 2

Dr. Nuno Oliveira

Committee Member 2 School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Committee Member 3

Dr. Paul Donahue

Committee Member 3 School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Committee Member 4

Dr. Christopher James Keating

Committee Member 4 School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Abstract

Previous research has shown that increasing cycling cadence, rather than the workrate, can result in improved post-cycling gait velocity. However, the specific threshold of cycling cadence required to bring about clinically meaningful changes in gait velocity remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, our study aimed to determine the minimum incremental increase in cycling cadence that would lead to a significant improvement in post-cycling gait velocity. A total of 42 young adults participated in our study and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: TEN, TWENTY, and THIRTY. Each group was assigned to cycle at a cadence at the corresponding percentage higher than the participant’s self-selected gait cadence. Each participant engaged in a 15-minute cycling session at their respective assigned cycling cadence. Before and after the cycling phase, the participants completed a 10 Minute Walk Test while measurements of velocity, other spatiotemporal parameters of gait, ground reaction forces, lower extremity kinematics, and kinetics were recorded. A two-way ANOVA test revealed no statistically significant changes in spatiotemporal, ground reaction force, kinematics, and kinetics variables pre- and post-cycling. However, there were both statistically significant and clinically meaningful changes in post-cycling gait velocity in THIRTY only. This suggests that a cycling cadence of 30% or higher is the minimum requirement to produce a clinically significant improvement in gait velocity.

ORCID ID

0000-0001-9414-8118

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