• Biomechanics
• Gait Analysis
• Musculoskeletal Modelling

This research delves into the fundamental biomechanics of everyday movements, with a specific focus on human gait: a distinctive feature, setting human apart from other animals. Gait studies typically involve participants recorded in controlled laboratory settings, potentially inducing the Hawthorne effect and altering natural walking behaviour. This study investigates if the awareness of being a subjects of a biomechanical analysis could affect gait, aiming to discern any deviations from typical walking pattern. The study involved 123 subjects recorded both aware and unaware of being observed using a Motion Capture markerless system, followed by analysis using AnyBody Modeling System software. The musculoskeletal model of the human body used for musculoskeletal analysis required modifications, adaptations, troubleshooting, and overcoming limitations to compute the simulations correctly and achieve the following results. The Results showed minimal disparities. "Walk unaware" recordings exhibited a higher average speed (2.2%) and increased muscle activation in the thigh region (7-13%) compared to the “walk aware”. Overall, the study suggests that participants' walking pattern could be influenced by their awareness of being recorded, highlighting the possible presence of Hawthorne effect of gait analysis methodologies in capturing movements within controlled laboratory settings.