Background:This prospective study explored the effects of endurance running(ER) in minimal versus standard running shoes on the foot’s superficial layer intrinsic muscles and the function of the longitudinal arch.Our...Background:This prospective study explored the effects of endurance running(ER) in minimal versus standard running shoes on the foot’s superficial layer intrinsic muscles and the function of the longitudinal arch.Our hypothesis was that running in minimal shoes would cause hypertrophy in these muscles and lead to higher,stronger,stiffer arches.Methods:The hypothesis was tested using a sample of 33 healthy runners randomized into two groups,a control group shod in traditional running footwear and an experimental group shod in minimal support footwear,whose feet were scanned in an MRI before and after a 12-week training regime.Running kinematics as well as arch stiffness and height were also assessed before and after the treatment period.Results:Analysis of anatomical cross-sectional areas and muscle volumes indicate that the flexor digitomm brevis muscle became larger in both groups by 11%and 21%,respectively,but only the minimally shod runners had significant areal and volumetric increases of the abductor digiti minimi of 18%and 22%,respectively,and significantly increased longitudinal arch stiffness(60%).Conclusion:These results suggest that endurance running in minimal support footwear with 4 mm offset or less makes greater use of the springlike function of the longitudinal arch,thus leading to greater demands on the intrinsic muscles that support the arch,thereby strengthening the foot.展开更多
Purpose： This study was designed to characterize and compare the vertical（kvert） and leg（kleg） stiffness measured during running in two different footwear conditions on negative, level, and positive slopes, using...Purpose： This study was designed to characterize and compare the vertical（kvert） and leg（kleg） stiffness measured during running in two different footwear conditions on negative, level, and positive slopes, using kinematic data only.Methods： Fourteen male recreational runners（age 23.4 4.4 years, height 177.5 5.2 cm, and body mass 69.5 5.3 kg） were tested on 2separate days within 1 week. At each session, subjects ran seven 5-min trials on a treadmill at 10 km/h, interspersed with 5 min of sitting passive recovery. Each trial was performed on a different slope gradient, ranging from 8%（downhill） to t8%（uphill）, assigned in a random order.Furthermore, each subject ran one 5-min trial wearing minimal shoes（MS） and the subsequent trial wearing traditional shoes（TS） in a counterbalanced randomized order ensuring that each slope was ran once in MS and once in TS. Kinematic data were collected using a photocell measuring system and high-speed video camera, with kvertand klegstiffness being calculated from these data.Results： Leg compression, contact times, and vertical displacement of the center of mass during running were significantly smaller in MS compared to TS across all slopes. In the two footwear conditions, step frequency significantly increased with a（positive） increase in slope.Kinematic analyses indicated that klegwas greater when running in MS than TS and this between-footwear difference remained similar across slopes. On the contrary, kvertdid not change on the basis of footwear, but increased with positive increases in slope.Conclusion： This study showed that kvertand klegduring running respond differently to change in footwear and/or slope. These two stiffness measures can hence provide a unique insight on the biomechanical adaptations of running under varying conditions and their respective quantification may assist in furthering our understanding of training, performance, and/or injury in this sport.展开更多
基金supported by the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center at the University of Cincinnati
文摘Background:This prospective study explored the effects of endurance running(ER) in minimal versus standard running shoes on the foot’s superficial layer intrinsic muscles and the function of the longitudinal arch.Our hypothesis was that running in minimal shoes would cause hypertrophy in these muscles and lead to higher,stronger,stiffer arches.Methods:The hypothesis was tested using a sample of 33 healthy runners randomized into two groups,a control group shod in traditional running footwear and an experimental group shod in minimal support footwear,whose feet were scanned in an MRI before and after a 12-week training regime.Running kinematics as well as arch stiffness and height were also assessed before and after the treatment period.Results:Analysis of anatomical cross-sectional areas and muscle volumes indicate that the flexor digitomm brevis muscle became larger in both groups by 11%and 21%,respectively,but only the minimally shod runners had significant areal and volumetric increases of the abductor digiti minimi of 18%and 22%,respectively,and significantly increased longitudinal arch stiffness(60%).Conclusion:These results suggest that endurance running in minimal support footwear with 4 mm offset or less makes greater use of the springlike function of the longitudinal arch,thus leading to greater demands on the intrinsic muscles that support the arch,thereby strengthening the foot.
基金supported by the University of Franche Comte' (France) and the Exercise, Performance, Health, and Innovation platform of Besancon
文摘Purpose： This study was designed to characterize and compare the vertical（kvert） and leg（kleg） stiffness measured during running in two different footwear conditions on negative, level, and positive slopes, using kinematic data only.Methods： Fourteen male recreational runners（age 23.4 4.4 years, height 177.5 5.2 cm, and body mass 69.5 5.3 kg） were tested on 2separate days within 1 week. At each session, subjects ran seven 5-min trials on a treadmill at 10 km/h, interspersed with 5 min of sitting passive recovery. Each trial was performed on a different slope gradient, ranging from 8%（downhill） to t8%（uphill）, assigned in a random order.Furthermore, each subject ran one 5-min trial wearing minimal shoes（MS） and the subsequent trial wearing traditional shoes（TS） in a counterbalanced randomized order ensuring that each slope was ran once in MS and once in TS. Kinematic data were collected using a photocell measuring system and high-speed video camera, with kvertand klegstiffness being calculated from these data.Results： Leg compression, contact times, and vertical displacement of the center of mass during running were significantly smaller in MS compared to TS across all slopes. In the two footwear conditions, step frequency significantly increased with a（positive） increase in slope.Kinematic analyses indicated that klegwas greater when running in MS than TS and this between-footwear difference remained similar across slopes. On the contrary, kvertdid not change on the basis of footwear, but increased with positive increases in slope.Conclusion： This study showed that kvertand klegduring running respond differently to change in footwear and/or slope. These two stiffness measures can hence provide a unique insight on the biomechanical adaptations of running under varying conditions and their respective quantification may assist in furthering our understanding of training, performance, and/or injury in this sport.
