Dr Mel Siff Blog

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During our most recent Supertraining Camp, I showed delegates some drills
that may be used for strength, metabolic, agility and “plyometric” training
on the treadmill. Some of these drills involved backward walking and
running, as well as quick changes from forward to backward walking on the
treadmill (take care if you have never tried this before). The following
paper examined some of the benefits of backward running:

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Mechanical Power and Muscle Action during Forward and Backward Running

Flynn, TW & Soutas-Little RW

JOSPT; 17(2), Feb 1993, 108-112

Recently, there has been increasing interest in using backward running (BR)
as an exercise and rehabilitation tool. To date, no study has been performed
that combined electromyography (EMG) and joint kinetics to study BR. The
purpose of this study was to compare selected EMG and kinetic parameters in
the stance phase of forward running (FR) and backward running (BR).

The sagittal plane of the right knee was analyzed during three trials of FR
and BR in six male subjects. Four 60-Hz video cameras collected motion data,
and a link segment model of the right lower extremity was established. Force
plate and EMG data were collected at 1000 Hz and synchronized with the video
data. The knee muscle peak (plus) and peak (minus) mechanical power and total
(plus) and total (minus) mechanical work were calculated. Electromyography
signals were captured from the right lower extremity on the rectus femoris,
vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, and
tibialis anterior muscles.

Statistical analysis indicated that significantly less peak (plus) and
(minus) power and total (plus) work occurred at the knee during BR than
during FR. Significant differences in muscle firing patterns between
conditions were observed. Muscle action of the vastus lateralis (VL) and
vastus medialis oblique (VMO) was largely eccentric and concentric during FR
and isometric and concentric during BR.

Backward running appears to be a good method for achieving isometric and
concentric muscle action of the VMO and VL and may be useful in clinical
conditions that require an increase in knee extensor strength.

Dr Mel Siff
Denver, USA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/

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Tags: Anterior Muscles, Biceps Femoris, Dr Mel Siff, Emg Data, Gastrocnemius, Kinetic Parameters, Lower Extremity, Mel Siff, Motion Data, Muscle Action, Rectus Femoris, Running Training, Sagittal Plane, Stance Phase, Super Training, Supertraining, Tibialis, Vastus Lateralis, Vmo