Electromyographic analysis of agonist-antagonist muscular activation during gait, and stair ascent and descent elderly adults

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to clarify differences in muscular activities between elderly and young people during level walking, stair ascent and descent. [Subjects] The subjects were 14 healthy elderly and 14 young adults. [Method] We employed force plates and surface EMG to capture kinetic and kinematic data of level walking, stair ascent and descent. Activities of the soleus and tibialis anterior muscles were recorded and compared in each phase between the elderly and young subjects. [Results] Elderly subjects showed significantly larger tibialis anterior muscular activities than the young adults in the terminal stance of gait and throughout the cycle during stair ascent and descent. [Conclusion] High stiffness of the ankle joint might be caused by increase of tibialis anterior muscular activity in elderly subjects.