DO ANTI-PRONATION SHOES ALTER ANKLE JOINT KINEMATICS AT DIFFERENT RUNNING VELOCITIES?

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare ankle eversion and inversion (pronation and supination) in barefoot running (BF) to running with minimal anti-pronation shoes (NS) and maximal anti-pronation shoes (APS), at different running velocities. Twelve (12) injury free male runners [27(5) yrs, 73(11) kg, 1.8(0.1)m] with neutral lower limb alignment as determined by a standard clinical biomechanical assessment, undertook overground runng at 2.3, 3.5 and 5.0 m/s in the BF, NS and APS conditions. Right foot stance kinematic data were captured at 120HZ with a 6 camera Oxford Metrics Vicon 3D Motion Analysis system. Ankle anatomical joint angles (degrees) between initial contact and midstance (eversion/pronation), and mid-stance and terminal contact (inversion/supination) were calculated and are presented in the table below. There was significantly less ankle eversion and inversion (pronation and supination) for the BF vs NS and APS at 2.3 and 3.5 m/s [(p < 0.05)#]. There was significantly less ankle eversion (pronation) for BF vs APS [(p < 0.05)#], and less ankle inversion (eversion) for the BF vs NS [(p < 0.05)‡] at 5.0m/s. A trend of greater eversion and inversion (pronation and supination) for the NS vs APS was noted at all running velocities. In conclusion, sports shoes increased ankle eversion and inversion (pronation and supination) during running irrespective of the anti-pronation properties of the shoes or the running velocity.Table: Ankle eversion and inversion vs Running velocity