Effect of Long-Distance Running on Inter-segment Foot Kinematics and Ground Reaction Forces: A Preliminary Study.

Jialin Li,Ee-Chon Teo,Yang Song,Dong Sun,Rongrong Xuan,Yaodong Gu,István Bíró

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2022.833774

Abstract

Long-distance running has gained massive popularity in recent years, yet the intra-foot adaptations during this event remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the kinematic and ground reaction force alterations induced within the foot following a 5 and 10 km run using the Oxford Foot Model Ten marathon-experienced recreational runners participated in this study. Five-kilometer running led to more rearfoot dorsiflexion, rearfoot eversion, and rearfoot rotation while less forefoot plantarflexion during the stance phase. Increased rearfoot plantarflexion, while decreased forefoot plantarflexion, supination, adduction, and hallux plantarflexion were observed at 10 km. In addition, the forefoot space of footwear was found to play a role in hallux kinematics. Concerning GRFs, only a lesser propulsive force was presented after a 10 km run. Findings of this study showed that 5 km of running would induce excessive foot motion while 10 km of running may gradually change the foot posture and lead to reduced propulsive forces, which could potentially increase the risks of running-related injuries (RRI) due to overuse or fatigue. Nevertheless, further research is warranted, and this study could be used as a preliminary reference to evaluate and predict foot running-related injuries.

Highlights

As one of the most accessible sports to achieve better physical health and prevent diseases, running, especially long-distance running, has attracted extensive participation worldwide (Kim et al, 2018; Mei et al, 2018)
Broad participation in long-distance repetitive exercise may bring in a higher rate of running-related injuries (RRI), to the lower extremities and the foot (Van Gent et al, 2007; Hulme et al, 2017; Mei et al, 2019)
3.1.1 Forefoot with Respect to Hindfoot Motion Through the SPM1d analysis, it was found that forefoot with respect to hindfoot angles (FFHFA) was significantly different after 5 km of running compared to baseline and 10 km (Figure 2A)

Summary

Introduction

As one of the most accessible sports to achieve better physical health and prevent diseases, running, especially long-distance running, has attracted extensive participation worldwide (Kim et al, 2018; Mei et al, 2018). It has been reported that the number of runners has doubled, and the number of marathon finishers has shown an exponential increase over the past decade (Nikolaidis et al, 2021; van Poppel et al, 2021). At least 344,000 marathon runners finished the “New York City Marathon” from 2010 to 2017, which is more than 10 times compared to ~25,000 in 1970–1979 (Vitti et al, 2020). Broad participation in long-distance repetitive exercise may bring in a higher rate of running-related injuries (RRI), to the lower extremities and the foot (Van Gent et al, 2007; Hulme et al, 2017; Mei et al, 2019).

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