Treadmill walking and overground walking of human subjects compared by recording sole-floor reaction force

Stance period at treadmill walking shortened to 93.3% (P < 0.01) of the value at overground walking. Coefficient of variation of stance period was significantly smaller at the treadmill walking than at overground walking. Strain gauge-floor contact times were shorter in the treadmill walking; heel 81.2%, first metatarsal 93.5%, third metatarsal 93.6%, fifth metatarsal 90.6% and at great toe 93.2% of overground locomotion. Cadence during treadmill locomotion was significantly larger than overground walking (106.6%, P < 0.05). These results show that when subjects walk on the treadmill and on laboratory floor at the identical speed, stance period shortened by 6.7% while cadence increased by 6.6% on the treadmill.