Redistribution of Mechanical Work at the Knee and Ankle Joints During Fast Running in Minimalist Shoes - PubMed (original) (raw)

Redistribution of Mechanical Work at the Knee and Ankle Joints During Fast Running in Minimalist Shoes

Joel T Fuller et al. J Athl Train. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

Context: Minimalist shoes have been suggested as a way to alter running biomechanics to improve running performance and reduce injuries. However, to date, researchers have only considered the effect of minimalist shoes at slow running speeds.

Objective: To determine if runners change foot-strike pattern and alter the distribution of mechanical work at the knee and ankle joints when running at a fast speed in minimalist shoes compared with conventional running shoes.

Design: Crossover study.

Setting: Research laboratory.

Patients or other participants: Twenty-six trained runners (age = 30.0 ± 7.9 years [age range, 18-40 years], height = 1.79 ± 0.06 m, mass = 75.3 ± 8.2 kg, weekly training distance = 27 ± 15 km) who ran with a habitual rearfoot foot-strike pattern and had no experience running in minimalist shoes.

Intervention(s): Participants completed overground running trials at 18 km/h in minimalist and conventional shoes.

Main outcome measure(s): Sagittal-plane kinematics and joint work at the knee and ankle joints were computed using 3-dimensional kinematic and ground reaction force data. Foot-strike pattern was classified as rearfoot, midfoot, or forefoot strike based on strike index and ankle angle at initial contact.

Results: We observed no difference in foot-strike classification between shoes (χ21 = 2.29, P = .13). Ankle angle at initial contact was less (2.46° versus 7.43°; t25 = 3.34, P = .003) and strike index was greater (35.97% versus 29.04%; t25 = 2.38, P = .03) when running in minimalist shoes compared with conventional shoes. We observed greater negative (52.87 J versus 42.46 J; t24 = 2.29, P = .03) and positive work (68.91 J versus 59.08 J; t24 = 2.65, P = .01) at the ankle but less negative (59.01 J versus 67.02 J; t24 = 2.25, P = .03) and positive work (40.37 J versus 47.09 J; t24 = 2.11, P = .046) at the knee with minimalist shoes compared with conventional shoes.

Conclusions: Running in minimalist shoes at a fast speed caused a redistribution of work from the knee to the ankle joint. This finding suggests that runners changing from conventional to minimalist shoes for short-distance races could be at an increased risk of ankle and calf injuries but a reduced risk of knee injuries.

Keywords: foot strike; footfall; footwear; kinematics; kinetics.

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Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Group mean ankle-joint, A, angle and, B, power during a complete stance phase for minimalist and conventional shoes. Positive joint angles indicate ankle-joint dorsiflexion, and negative joint angles indicate ankle-joint plantar flexion. Positive joint power indicates generation of energy (concentric muscle action of ankle plantar-flexor muscles), and negative joint power indicates absorption of energy (eccentric muscle action of ankle plantar-flexor muscles).

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Group mean knee-joint, A, angle and, B, power during a complete stance phase for minimalist and conventional shoes. Positive joint angles indicate knee-joint flexion, and negative joint angles indicate knee-joint extension. Positive joint power indicates generation of energy (concentric muscle action of knee-extensor muscles), and negative joint power indicates absorption of energy (eccentric muscle action of knee-extensor muscles).

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