Running research has focused on reducing injuries by changing running technique. One proposed method is to change from rearfoot striking (RFS) to forefoot striking (FFS) because FFS is thought to be a more natural running pattern that may reduce loading and injury risk. Muscle activity affects loading and influences running patterns; however, the differences in muscle activity between natural FFS runners and natural RFS runners are unknown. The purpose of this study was to measure muscle activity in natural FFS runners and natural RFS runners. We tested the hypotheses that tibialis anterior activity would be significantly lower while activity of the plantarflexors would be significantly greater in FFS runners, compared to RFS runners, during late swing phase and early stance phase. Gait kinematics, ground reaction forces and electromyographic patterns of ten muscles were collected from twelve natural RFS runners and ten natural FFS runners. The root mean square (RMS) of each muscle׳s activity was calculated during terminal swing phase and early stance phase. We found significantly lower RMS activity in the tibialis anterior in FFS runners during terminal swing phase, compared to RFS runners. In contrast, the medial and lateral gastrocnemius showed significantly greater RMS activity in terminal swing phase in FFS runners. No significant differences were found during early stance phase for the tibialis anterior or the plantarflexors. Recognizing the differences in muscle activity between FFS and RFS runners is an important step toward understanding how foot strike patterns may contribute to different types of injury.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.10.015 | DOI Listing |
Gait Posture
December 2024
Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, China. Electronic address:
Background: Most running biomechanics studies have focused on either the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) or Achilles tendon (AT) alone, generating fragmented understanding of how these structures interact as components of an integrated kinetic chain during running. This study was to investigate concurrent biomechanical changes in the PFJ and AT in recreational runners.
Methods: The recreational runners who are accustomed to run with rearfoot strike (RFS, n = 15) and forefoot strike (FFS, n = 15) patterns were recruited.
Quant Imaging Med Surg
December 2024
Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Background: Foot strike patterns during running are typically categorized into two types: non-rearfoot strike (NRFS) and rearfoot strike (RFS), or as three distinct types: forefoot strike (FFS), midfoot strike (MFS), and RFS, based on which part of the foot lands first. Various methods, including two-dimensional (2D) visual-based methods and three-dimensional (3D) motion capture-based methods utilizing parameters such as the strike index (SI) or strike angle (SA), have been employed to assess these patterns. However, the consistency between the results obtained from each method remains debatable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Bioeng Biomech
December 2023
5Department of Athletic Sports, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan.
: This study aimed to explore the impact of different landing methods on leg movement ability and the relationship between various parameters of leg movement. : This work parameters including stride, contact time, flight time, duty factor, stride angle, vertical stiffness, leg stiffness and peak vertical ground reaction force. Thirty healthy subjects voluntarily participated in this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGait Posture
March 2024
Spaulding National Running Center, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA 01760, USA.
Background: A common gait retraining goal for runners is reducing vertical ground reaction force (GRF) loading rates (LRs), which have been associated with injury. Many gait retraining programs prioritize an internal focus of attention, despite evidence supporting an external focus of attention when a specific outcome is desired (e.g.
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