The acute effect of treadmill running on overground running mechanics in a barefoot condition

Norma G Candelaria, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the acute affect of treadmill running on overground running mechanics in a barefoot condition. It is believed that the variability displayed in barefoot running measurement is due to unfamiliarity to barefoot running. Participants in the study ran barefoot over a force platform at a self-selected speed while kinematic and kinetic data were collected. Each subject then performed either 8 minutes of treadmill running or rest in a barefoot condition. Immediately following treadmill running or rest, participants repeated overground running trials over the force plate. Exactly one week after the initial data collection, participants returned to the laboratory to repeat the initial procedure, except that they were assigned to the opposite condition. Results of the study revealed a significant interaction in the knee angle variability (p = 0.050) of the dominant leg while the variability of both the dominant (p = 0.121) and non-dominant (p = 0.137) ankle angles approached significance. On the treadmill accommodation day, knee variability slightly decreased during the pre- and posttest, while variability increased significantly on the rest day. It was concluded that a treadmill warm-up period will decrease kinematic variability in the knee angle, possibly leading to more reliable barefoot running data. It was also speculated that a longer accommodation period may reduce the variability in other joints as well.

Subject Area

Sports medicine

Recommended Citation

Candelaria, Norma G, "The acute effect of treadmill running on overground running mechanics in a barefoot condition" (2007). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI1449750.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI1449750

Share

COinS