The Pattern of Muscular Activity During the Arm Swing of Natural Walking

Abstract

Abstract A telemetering device is described to record action potentials from muscles of the upper arm and the shoulder during the arm swing of natural walking. The forward swing is caused by activity in some inward rotators, the flexors remaining inactive. The posterior part of the deltoid and some outward rotators are responsible for the backward swing. During walk‐turning electrical activity occurred in flexors inactive during straight walking accounting for the increased excursion of the forward swing which counteracts the torsional movement of the trunk. Step‐related muscular activity persisted even when the arm was prevented from swinging.