Garofolini Alessandro, Mickle Karen J, McLaughlin Patrick, Taylor Simon B
Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.
School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 26;14(1):2220. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52446-0.
This research investigates the stabilization of leg length and orientation during the landing phase of running, examining the effects of different footwear and foot strike patterns. Analyzing kinematic data from twenty male long-distance runners, both rearfoot and forefoot strikers, we utilized the Uncontrolled Manifold approach to assess stability. Findings reveal that both leg length and orientation are indeed stabilized during landing, challenging the hypothesis that rearfoot strikers exhibit less variance in deviations than forefoot strikers, and that increased footwear assistance would reduce these deviations. Surprisingly, footwear with a lower minimalist index enhanced post-landing stability, suggesting that cushioning contributes to both force dissipation and leg length stability. The study indicates that both foot strike patterns are capable of effectively reducing task-relevant variance, with no inherent restriction on flexibility for rearfoot strikers. However, there is an indication of potential reliance on footwear for stability. These insights advance our understanding of the biomechanics of running, highlighting the role of footwear in stabilizing leg length and orientation, which has significant implications for running efficiency and injury prevention.
本研究调查了跑步落地阶段腿长和方向的稳定性，研究了不同鞋类和着地方式的影响。通过分析20名男性长跑运动员（包括后脚着地和前脚着地者）的运动学数据，我们采用非控制流形方法来评估稳定性。研究结果表明，在落地过程中腿长和方向确实得到了稳定，这对以下假设提出了挑战：后脚着地者在偏差方面的变化比前脚着地者小，以及增加鞋类的辅助作用会减少这些偏差。令人惊讶的是，简约指数较低的鞋类增强了落地后的稳定性，这表明缓冲有助于力的消散和腿长的稳定。该研究表明，两种着地方式都能够有效地减少与任务相关的变化，后脚着地者在灵活性方面没有内在限制。然而，有迹象表明可能依赖鞋类来保持稳定性。这些见解推进了我们对跑步生物力学的理解，突出了鞋类在稳定腿长和方向方面的作用，这对跑步效率和预防受伤具有重要意义。
