Promsri Arunee
Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand.
Unit of Excellence in Neuromechanics, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao 56000, Thailand.
Sports (Basel). 2022 Sep 16;10(9):138. doi: 10.3390/sports10090138.
A sex-specific manner in running tasks is considered a potential internal injury risk factor in runners. The current study aimed to investigate the sex differences in running stability in recreational runners during self-preferred speed treadmill running by focusing on a whole-body movement. To this end, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to kinematic marker data of 22 runners (25.7 ± 3.3 yrs.; 12 females) for decomposing the whole-body movements of all participants into a set of principal movements (PMs), representing different movement synergies forming together to achieve the task goal. Then, the sex effects were tested on three types of PCA-based variables computed for individual PMs: the largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) as a measure of running variability; the relative standard deviation (rSTD) as a measure of movement structures; and the root mean square (RMS) as a measure of the magnitude of neuromuscular control. The results show that the sex effects are observed in the specific PMs. Specifically, female runners have lower stability (greater LyE) in the mid-stance-phase movements (PM) and greater contribution and control (greater rSTD and RMS) in the swing-phase movement (PM) than male runners. Knowledge of an inherent sex difference in running stability may benefit sports-related injury prevention and rehabilitation.
跑步任务中的性别特异性方式被认为是跑步者潜在的内伤风险因素。本研究旨在通过关注全身运动，调查业余跑步者在自行选择速度的跑步机跑步过程中跑步稳定性的性别差异。为此，对22名跑步者（25.7±3.3岁；12名女性）的运动学标记数据应用主成分分析（PCA），将所有参与者的全身运动分解为一组主运动（PMs），这些主运动代表不同的运动协同作用，共同形成以实现任务目标。然后，对为个体主运动计算的三种基于主成分分析的变量测试性别效应：作为跑步变异性度量的最大Lyapunov指数（LyE）；作为运动结构度量的相对标准偏差（rSTD）；以及作为神经肌肉控制幅度度量的均方根（RMS）。结果表明，在特定的主运动中观察到了性别效应。具体而言，与男性跑步者相比，女性跑步者在站立中期运动（主运动）中的稳定性较低（LyE较大），而在摆动期运动（主运动）中的贡献和控制较大（rSTD和RMS较大）。了解跑步稳定性中固有的性别差异可能有助于预防与运动相关的损伤和康复。
