Effect of Increasing Running Cadence on Peak Impact Force in an Outdoor Environment.

Abstract

BackgroundAn estimated 56% of recreational runners sustain a running-related injury related to the high impact forces in running. Increasing step frequency (cadence) while maintaining a consistent speed has been shown to be an effective way to lower impact forces which may reduce injury risk.PurposeTo examine effects of increased cadence on peak impact force during running in an outdoor setting. It was hypothesized that as cadence increases, peak force would decrease.Study DesignRepeated measures, quasi-experimentalMethodsPeak force and cadence measurements were collected from 15 recreational runners (8 females, 7 males) during two 2.4-mile outdoor runs. Peak force was measured using an insole-based load measuring device. Baseline session run was completed at participant’s naturally preferred cadence and cadence session run was completed at a cadence targeted to be 10% greater than baseline. Pace was monitored with a GPS watch. Cadence was cued by an auditory metronome and measured with both GPS watch and insoles. Repeated-measures ANOVA’s examined the differences in average peak force, GPS-reported cadence, and insole-reported cadence between mile 1 and mile 2, and across the two cadence conditions.ResultsCadence differences of 7.3% were observed between baseline and cadence sessions (p<0.001). A concurrent decrease in average peak force of 5.6% was demonstrated during the cadence run (p<0.05). Average cadences measured by GPS watch and insoles were found to be the same at both baseline (p=0.096) and during cadence (p=0.352) sessions.ConclusionIncreasing cadence by an average of 7% in an outdoor setting resulted in a decrease in peak force at two different time points during a 2.4-mile run. Furthermore, using a metronome for in-field cadence manipulation led to a change in cadence. This suggests that a metronome may be an effective tool to manipulate cadence for the purpose of decreasing peak impact force in an outdoor setting.Level of evidence3b