An accelerometer system was used to measure the characteristics of the
motion of 133 healthy male soccer athletes in a 30-s walking test and
the data obtained were analysed using the gait evaluation differential
entropy method (GEDEM). GEDEM processes gait acceleration data and
calculates an index that provides a quantitative evaluation of a
subject’s gait, at low cost and with negligible effect on the subject.
The GEDEM index was not significantly correlated with age, body weight,
body mass index, or the number of years of active training. The GEDEM
value for the anterior-posterior axis showed a small negative
statistically significant correlation with height and the vertical axis
was moderately and statistically significantly positively correlated
with the time spent training per week. The triaxial accelerometry system
described here is easy for subjects and testers to use, and enables
measurements to be made on the sports field to evaluate an athlete’s
musculoskeletal condition with respect to gait stability
