ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of military specific load carriage, when wearing a neutral footwear, on gait linear kinematics and ground reaction forces. Fourteen military personnel were evaluated in the two conditions: non-backpack and backpack. Linear kinematics and ground reaction forces (GRF) were measured and compared between test conditions. Changes were found for stance and swing time, as well as for the initial, final and total double limb support time. For GRF, changes were observed in the anterior-posterior (final stance), medial-lateral and vertical (initial stance) directions. These alterations may be the result of an attempt to keep stability and a forward momentum during gait.
