Differences in Ground Reaction Forces and Shock Impacts Between Nordic Walking and Walking

Abstract

The regular practice of Nordic walking (NW) has increased in recent years, in part thanks to the health benefits described by the scientific literature. However, there is no consensus on the effects of shock-impact absorption during its practice. Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the levels of impact and ground reaction forces (GRF) between NW and walking (W). Method: Twenty physically active and experienced participants were assessed using a dynamometric platform and accelerometry analysis. Results: The results show statistically significantly higher levels of acceleration in the tibia (12%) and head (21%) during NW compared with W. Equally, GRF were significantly higher (27%) at the instant of strike compared with W, and a reduction of the forces at the instant of takeoff (8%) was observed. Conclusions: During NW, shock impacts and GRF levels increased compared with W, an aspect that should be considered when prescribing health improvement programs.

Keywords::

• biomechanics
• kinetics
• walking