{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,5]],"date-time":"2026-07-05T04:41:47Z","timestamp":1783226507722,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769385600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JFMK"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Walking cadence is commonly adjusted in sport and rehabilitation, yet its effects on spatiotemporal gait parameters and regional plantar pressure distribution under controlled speed conditions remain incompletely characterized. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether imposed cadence increases at a constant walking speed would (i) systematically reduce temporal gait parameters while preserving inter-limb symmetry and (ii) be associated with region-specific increases in forefoot plantar loading, representing the primary novel contribution of this work. Methods: Fifty-two adults walked at three imposed cadences (110, 120, 130 steps\u00b7min\u22121) while maintaining a fixed treadmill speed of 1.39 m\u00b7s\u22121 via auditory biofeedback. Spatiotemporal parameters were recorded with an OptoGait system, and plantar pressure distribution was measured using in-shoe pressure insoles. Normally distributed variables were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, whereas plantar pressure metrics were assessed using the Friedman test, followed by Wilcoxon signed-rank post-hoc comparisons with false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Associations between temporal parameters and plantar loading metrics (peak pressure, pressure\u2013time integral) were examined using Spearman\u2019s rank correlation with FDR correction (\u03b1 = 0.05). Results: Increasing cadence produced progressive reductions in gait cycle duration (~8\u201310%), contact time (~7\u20138%), and step time (all p &lt; 0.01), while inter-limb symmetry indices remained below 2% across conditions. Peak plantar pressure increased significantly in several forefoot regions with increasing cadence (all p_FDR &lt; 0.05), whereas changes in the first ray were less consistent across conditions. Regional forefoot pressure\u2013time integral also increased modestly with higher cadence (p_FDR &lt; 0.01). Spearman\u2019s correlations revealed moderate negative associations between temporal gait parameters and global plantar loading metrics (\u03c1 = \u22120.38 to \u22120.46, all p_FDR &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: At a constant walking speed, increasing cadence systematically shortens temporal gait components and is associated with small but consistent region-specific increases in forefoot plantar loading. These findings highlight cadence as a key temporal constraint shaping plantar loading patterns during steady-state walking and support the existence of concurrent temporal\u2013mechanical adaptations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jfmk11010053","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T12:41:16Z","timestamp":1769431276000},"page":"53","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Kinematic and Kinetic Adaptations to Step Cadence Modulation During Walking in Healthy Adults"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6626-0225","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joan","family":"Lluch Fruns","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinic Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4585-4953","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Cristina","family":"Manzanares-C\u00e9spedes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of Barcelona, 08907 L\u2019Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1797-910X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"P\u00e9rez-Palma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinic Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2689-3073","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carles","family":"Verg\u00e9s Salas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinic Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lockhart, T.E. 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