Abstract
Coordination variability (CoordV) is impacted by the type and speed of locomotion, however, the appropriate number of trials required for stable outputs during overground locomotion is yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to analyse the CoordV of lower limb segment and joint couplings to determine the number of trials needed for a stable mean during running and walking at preferred and fixed speeds. Three-dimensional lower-limb kinematics were captured for recreational runners (n = 10) performing 20 trials of each condition. Using a modified vector coding technique, segment and joint couplings were derived, from which, CoordV was calculated using circular statistics. The number of trials required to achieve a mean within 100±10% of a 20 stride mean was determined for each individual. The study findings indicate the need for between 8 and 9 trials to produce a stable mean and contribute to reliable biomechanical outputs.
