Abstract
Background: The running segment of a triathlon produces 70% of the lower limb injuries. Previous research has shown a clear association between kinematic patterns and specific injuries during running. Methods: After completing a seven-month gait retraining program, a questionnaire was used to assess 19 triathletes for the incidence of injuries. They were also biomechanically analyzed at the beginning and end of the program while running at a speed of 90% of their maximum aerobic speed (MAS) using surface sensor dynamic electromyography and kinematic analysis. We used classification tree (random forest) techniques from the field of artificial intelligence to identify linear and non-linear relationships between different biomechanical patterns and injuries to identify which styles best prevent injuries. Results: Fewer injuries occurred after completing the program, with athletes showing less pelvic fall and greater activation in gluteus medius during the first phase of the float phase, with increased trunk extension, knee flexion, and decreased ankle dorsiflexion during the initial contact with the ground. Conclusions: The triathletes who had suffered the most injuries ran with increased pelvic drop and less activation in gluteus medius during the first phase of the float phase. Contralateral pelvic drop seems to be an important variable in the incidence of injuries in young triathletes.
Highlights
Triathlon is a growing sport with broad participation spanning three disciplines in the same event
Using G*Power software, we calculated that we would need at least 17 subjects in order to detect a large effect size of 0.8, having a power of 0.87 and a critical alpha of 0.05. This calculation was based on the use of t-tests for two dependent means, to detect differences before and after the gait retraining, as we evaluated the same individuals at two different moments.”
To minimize model overfitting, we used a K-fold cross-validation resampling technique to estimate the efficacy of the model [30], the K value was defined at 10
Summary
Triathlon is a growing sport with broad participation spanning three disciplines (swimming, cycling, and running) in the same event. This has led to an increase in the incidence of injuries, varying from 37% to 91% in the adult population [1]. Methods: After completing a seven-month gait retraining program, a questionnaire was used to assess 19 triathletes for the incidence of injuries. They were biomechanically analyzed at the beginning and end of the program while running at a speed of 90% of their maximum aerobic speed (MAS) using surface sensor dynamic electromyography and kinematic analysis. Contralateral pelvic drop seems to be an important variable in the incidence of injuries in young triathletes
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