The Influence of Lateral Constraints on Walking: Effects of Walking Speed and Biological Sex

This study examined the influence of lateral constraints and sex on walking in different settings. Thirty-eight adults (17 males: 25 [3] y, 21 females: 24 [4] y) walked overground for 20 m in open (no constraints), open pathway (defined by lines on the floor), and hallway (pathway defined by walls) settings at 3 speeds (slow, preferred, and fast). Inertial sensors recorded kinematics (Xsens Awinda, Movella) to calculate stride velocity, stride length (SL), cadence, and double support phase percentage. Stride velocity, SL, and cadence were also normalized to account for body size. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analysis (α = .05). No setting or setting by speed effects were found. Males had greater SL compared with females at preferred and fast speeds. Males had greater normalized SL compared with females at fast speeds. Females had greater cadence compared with males across conditions. Males had greater double support phase percentage compared with females at slow speeds. Wider hallways may allow for walking assessments generalizable to open settings. Considering sex differences in cadence at any speed, SL at preferred and fast speeds, normalized SL at fast speeds, and double support phase percentage at slow speeds may be valuable for interpreting walking assessments.