Abstract
Foot-strike and the associated load rate are factors related to overuse injuries in runners. The purpose of this study was to analyse structural and functional changes in runners using floating heel running shoes, compared with runners using conventional footwear. A randomised control trial was conducted. Twenty runners with overuse injuries were followed over a 12-week gait retraining programme using floating heel running shoes or their conventional footwear. Pain was measured with pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), structural changes were measured with ultrasonography, and severity and impact of injury was scored on the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC-O). Statistical differences were found between groups after the intervention (p < 0.001), with a medium size effect SE = 0.8, and the floating heel running shoes group reached higher PPTs values. Participants using floating heel running shoes showed higher OSTRC-O scores than those using their conventional footwear (p < 0.05), with higher scores after the intervention (p < 0.05). A 12-week gait retraining programme using floating heel running shoes had positive effects on the injury recovery process when compared to the use of conventional footwear, with significant differences in terms of pain and impact on sports activity.
Highlights
The main objective of this study was to analyse the clinical and structural changes in overuse injured runners using floating heel running shoes (FHS) compared to runners using conventional footwear
We found differences between groups; the floatingheel heel running running shoes group (FHSG) showed a lower score (Mdn = 47 ± 13)
Low effect: 0.1; medium effect: 0.3; large effect: 0.5 [39]. The results of this preliminary study showed that recreational runners with overuse injuries can benefit from the floating heel concept when training
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. In recent decades, running has become one of the most popular and accessible sports, and the number of runners increases every day [1]. Running is one of the most efficient ways to achieve physical fitness and has several cardiovascular, muscular, and health benefits [2]. Running has a relatively high risk of injury, representing a significant problem for runners, since injuries are reported to range between 19% to
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