Comparison of Peak Values of Ground Reaction Forces Before and After Fatigue in Women with a History of COVID-19 and Healthy Women During Walking: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Running related fatigue in people with a history of COVID-19 can lead to an alteration of ground reaction forces due to electromyography changes. The aim of this study was to compare the peak values of ground reaction forces before and after fatigue in women with a history of COVID-19 and healthy women during walking.

In the present quasi-experimental study, the statistical sample included 14 women with a history of COVID-19 and 14 healthy women in Ardabil province in 2021, who were selected by convenience sampling. People with the history of COVID-19 had a positive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test during the disease engagement. Bertec force plate with a sampling rate of 1000 Hz was used to record the ground reaction force data during walking. Data were analyzed using independent two-sample t-test.

The results did not show any statistically significant difference in mean changes of pre- and post-test across healthy and COVID-19 women (p>0.05). However, the values of pre- and post-test mean differences of lateral ground reaction forces approach a significant level (p=0.055) with a high effect size value (d=0.83).

It appears that the inability to apply a compensatory mechanism during the appearance of fatigue in people with COVID-19 can be a serious reason for the occurrence of injury and reduce joint stability during walking.