Spring-Mass Characteristics in Runners Before and After a 56-km Road Ultramarathon.

Ultramarathons are a unique model to study the effects of systemic fatigue in athletes. This investigation applied the spring-mass template to study runners before and 2 days after a road ultramarathon to characterize the effects of fatigue on systemic gait patterns. Overground kinetics were captured 7 days before and 2 days after the event in 14 runners.

Effect of Strength and Plyometric Training on Kinematics in Female Novice Runners.

Harrison, K, Williams, DSB III, Darter, BJ, Zernicke, RF, Shall, M, and Finucane, S. Effect of strength and plyometric training on kinematics in female novice runners. J Strength Cond Res 38(6): 1048-1055, 2024-Both running performance and injury have been associated with running kinematics.

Assessing spring-mass similarity in elite and recreational runners.

The dynamic complexity and individualization of running biomechanics has challenged the development of objective and comparative gait measures. Here, we present and explore several novel biomechanical metrics for running that are informed by a canonical inter-species gait template-the spring-mass model. The measures assess running mechanics systemically against the template via quantifying characteristics of a runner's kinetics relative to the energy-conserving elastic system-i.

Lower Extremity Inverse Kinematics Results Differ Between Inertial Measurement Unit- and Marker-Derived Gait Data.

In-lab, marker-based gait analyses may not represent real-world gait. Real-world gait analyses may be feasible using inertial measurement units (IMUs) in combination with open-source data processing pipelines (OpenSense). Before using OpenSense to study real-world gait, we must determine whether these methods estimate joint kinematics similarly to traditional marker-based motion capture (MoCap) and differentiate groups with clinically different gait mechanics.

Aligning Organizational Priorities and System Policies to Support Implementation Scale-Up of a Tailored Classroom-Based Physical Activity Intervention in Low-Resource Schools.

Background: A mismatch between organizational priorities and system-level policies can negatively impact implementation and sustainment of classroom-based physical activity (PA) interventions. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) present methods to systematically identify organization- and system-level implementation barriers, and (2) align organizational priorities and system policies by designing multi-level implementation strategies. This alignment will support implementation scale-up of a tailored PA intervention in one low-resource intermediate school district (ISD; 16 districts, 32 schools) in central Michigan.

A Novel Policy Alignment and Enhancement Process to Improve Sustainment of School-Based Physical Activity Programming.

The purpose of the current study was twofold: (1) to evaluate the strength and comprehensiveness of district wellness policies in one central Michigan intermediate school district (ISD; 16 districts), and (2) to pilot a novel policy alignment and enhancement process in one district within the ISD to improve sustainment of district-wide physical activity (PA) programming. Policy evaluation and alignment were determined using WellSAT 3.0.

Rapid cycle adaptation of a classroom-based intervention to promote equity in access to youth physical activity.

Our objective was to systematically adapt Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity (InPACT), a classroom-based physical activity intervention, for home delivery to equitably increase access to structured youth physical activity opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key steps in the rapid-cycle research adaptation process included: (Step 1) identifying partner organizations; (Steps 2 and 3) engaging in problem and knowledge exploration to examine the problem from different perspectives; (Steps 4 and 5) initiating solution development and testing by selecting an intervention and adapting the format and content for home delivery. Using Rapid RE-AIM to guide online assessment and refinement of InPACT at Home; and (Step 6) utilizing dissemination strategies to extend the reach of the program.

Identifying latent classes of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) consequences in a sample of collegiate female cross country runners.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify patterns of clustering of the 10 health consequences identified in the Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) framework among collegiate female Cross-Country runners. We also assessed risk characteristics associated with each cluster.

Methods: This randomly sampled population included 211 current National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I (DI) female cross country runners who completed a quantitative survey.

May Incorporate Daily Acute Cycles of "Conditioning-Deconditioning" to Maintain Musculoskeletal Integrity: Need to Integrate with Biological Clocks and Circadian Rhythm Mediators.

Human evolution required adaptation to the boundary conditions of Earth, including 1 g gravity. The bipedal mobility of in that gravitational field causes ground reaction force (GRF) loading of their lower extremities, influencing the integrity of the tissues of those extremities. However, humans usually experience such loading during the day and then a period of relative unloading at night.

Position-Specific Physical Workload Intensities in American Collegiate Football Training.

MamonJr, MA, Olthof, SBH, Burns, GT, Lepley, AS, Kozloff, KM, and Zernicke, RF. Position-specific physical workload intensities in American collegiate football training. J Strength Cond Res 36(2): 420-426, 2022-Quantifying player training loads allows football coaching staff to make informed adjustments to the volume and intensity of training.

Risk Factors for COVID-19 in College Students Identified by Physical, Mental, and Social Health Reported During the Fall 2020 Semester: Observational Study Using the Roadmap App and Fitbit Wearable Sensors.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a seismic shift in education to web-based learning. With nearly 20 million students enrolled in colleges across the United States, the long-simmering mental health crisis in college students was likely further exacerbated by the pandemic.

Objective: This study leveraged mobile health (mHealth) technology and sought to (1) characterize self-reported outcomes of physical, mental, and social health by COVID-19 status; (2) assess physical activity through consumer-grade wearable sensors (Fitbit); and (3) identify risk factors associated with COVID-19 positivity in a population of college students prior to release of the vaccine.

Biomechanical Loads and Their Effects on Player Performance in NCAA D-I Male Basketball Games.

Basketball games and training sessions are characterized by quick actions and many scoring attempts, which pose biomechanical loads on the bodies of the players. Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) capture these biomechanical loads as PlayerLoad and Inertial Movement Analysis (IMA) and teams collect those data to monitor adaptations to training schedules. However, the association of biomechanical loads with game performance is a relatively unexplored area.

A simple computational method to estimate stance velocity in running.

Running dynamical analyses typically approximate a runner's stance velocity as the average stride cycle velocity (the average running speed). That approximation necessarily overestimates stance velocity and biases subsequent results. Stance velocity is crucial in kinetic spring-mass analyses of running, where approximation of a runner's impact angle and calculation of leg stiffness require that input.

Bouncing behavior of sub-four minute milers.

Elite middle distance runners present as a unique population in which to explore biomechanical phenomena in relation to running speed, as their training and racing spans a broad spectrum of paces. However, there have been no comprehensive investigations of running mechanics across speeds within this population. Here, we used the spring-mass model of running to explore global mechanical behavior across speeds in these runners.

Adults with knee osteoarthritis use different coordinative strategies to transition from swing to stance compared to young asymptomatic adults.

Background: Neuromuscular changes that occur with aging or joint pathology likely alter the coordinative strategies that adults use to walk and to recover from perturbations during gait. Differences in coordination patterns or in how coordination changes in response to a challenge may provide insight into neuromuscular targets for falls prevention interventions.

Research Question: Do young asymptomatic adults, older asymptomatic adults, and older adults with knee OA alter their lower extremity segment coordination differently in response to an increase in walking speed?.

Comparison of Frontal and Transverse Plane Kinematics Related to Knee Injury in Novice Versus Experienced Female Runners.

Novice runners experience a higher incidence of knee injury than experienced runners, which may be related to aberrant frontal and transverse plane kinematics. However, differences in kinematics between novice and experienced runners have not been fully explored. For this study, 10 novice and 10 experienced female runners ran on a treadmill at 2.

Improving spring-mass parameter estimation in running using nonlinear regression methods.

Runners are commonly modeled as spring-mass systems, but the traditional calculations of these models rely on discrete observations during the gait cycle (e.g. maximal vertical force) and simplifying assumptions (e.

Cultural and environmental associations with body image, diet and well-being in NCAA DI female distance runners: a qualitative analysis.

Objective: We aimed to describe current and former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One (DI) female distance runners' experiences of perceived norms of body image and disordered eating in their sport, as well as the emergence and influence of coach-athlete power dynamics.This manuscript reports a qualitative research study (consisting of interviews and thematic analysis) of women athletes' experiences of perceived norms of body image and disordered eating in their sport. We also report athletes' experiences of coach-athlete power dynamics.

Propulsive joint powers track with sensor-derived angular velocity: A potential tool for lab-less gait retraining.

Lower propulsive joint powers, particularly at the ankle, are often observed in older compared to young adults. Interventions to increase joint powers often require labs with motion capture and force treadmill technology. Translating these interventions out of the lab requires identifying portable measures that track (i.

Optimal Human Functioning Requires Exercise Across the Lifespan: Mobility in a 1g Environment Is Intrinsic to the Integrity of Multiple Biological Systems.

It is widely acknowledged that achieving and maintaining a healthier lifestyle can be enhanced through regular participation in sport and physical activity. Coevally, a growing number of health professionals regard exercise as a legitimate intervention strategy for those who have lost their health. Exercise has been shown to be effective for overweight or obese individuals, who are at risk to lose their health due to development of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, as well as, infiltration of muscles, bone and other organs with fat, so it can be considered medicine.

Measuring markers of aging and knee osteoarthritis gait using inertial measurement units.

Differences in gait with age or knee osteoarthritis have been demonstrated in laboratory studies using optical motion capture (MoCap). While MoCap is accurate and reliable, it is impractical for assessment outside the laboratory. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) may be useful in these situations.

Ultrasound elastographic assessment of plantar fascia in runners using rearfoot strike and forefoot strike.

Forefoot strike is increasingly being adopted by runners because it can better attenuate impact than rearfoot strike. However, forefoot strike may overload the plantar fascia and alter the plantar fascia elasticity. This study aimed to use ultrasound elastography to investigate and compare shear wave elasticity of the plantar fascia between rearfoot strikers and forefoot strikers.

Years of running experience influences stride-to-stride fluctuations and adaptive response during step frequency perturbations in healthy distance runners.

Research Question: The current study investigated stride-to-stride fluctuations of step rate and contact time in response to enforced step frequency perturbations as well as adaptation and de-adaptation behavior.

Methods: Forty distance runners ran at a self-selected speed and were asked to match five different enforced step frequencies (150, 160, 170, 180, and 190 beats per min). The influence of experience was explored, because running is a skill that presumably gets better with practice, and increased years of running experience is protective against injury.