Acute effects of gait interventions on tibial accelerations during treadmill running

Introduction: Individuals who participate in high running volumes are at risk of sustaining tibial stress injuries. Increased acceleration during is a potential factor for developing Modified technique and/or equipment can potentially alter accelerations to reduce load and placed on the tibia. Numerous interventions (e.g. changes foot strike cadence; wearing minimalist shoes) modify loads have been assessed, however synthesis this evidence found inconclusive results. This study estimated effects footwear modifying running. Methods: Six naturally rearfoot striking recreational runners (age 28.5 ± 1.7; height 175.1 8.6; mass 67.9 7.6) ran an instrumented treadmill under seven conditions, those being: (i) preferred speed; (ii) speed +10%; (iii) +20%; (iv) induced forefoot strike; (v) shoes; (vi) with +10% (vii) -10% cadence. During each bout tri-axial accelerometer collected accelerations. Peak positive axial (PPA) peak resultant (PRA) were extracted from over 30 second period conditions. A repeated measures ANOVA was used compare condition both PPA PRA. Post-hoc comparisons made where main effect (p < 0.05) identified. Hedges g 95% confidence intervals also calculated pairwise differences. Results: identified = 0.02) PRA 0.02). Post hoc analyses no statistically significant differences between conditions when compared speed. Although significance extra-large cadence +10%, ( 1.843; 1.352, respectively) respectively). Running decreased by 2.08g 3.61g, while increased 2.22g 3.86g. Discussion: we effect, intervention However, 10% increase had largest descriptive reductions Reduced statistical power due small sample size likely led extra-large, non-statistically- effects. The seen these may help alleviate loading injury risk. Impact: or Conflict interest statement: authors acknowledge that conflict submission abstract