About this trial
The purpose of our study is to establish the most effective running retraining technique to decrease ground contact time. This will be investigated by applying three running retraining conditions and assessing the change in ground contact time and other biomechanical variables between the runner's baseline running and each retraining technique.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Military Service Member or USMA cadet between the ages of 17-60
Run at least 2 miles three times per week for the past 3 months
Able to run for at least 15 continuous minutes at a self-selected speed
Fluent in the English language to read and provide informed consent and follow study instructions
Disqualifiers
Lower extremity or low back pain in the previous 3 months
Lower extremity or low back surgery in the previous 6 months
Self-reported pregnancy or given birth within the last 6 months
Currently on a profile that restricts or limits running
Trial design
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
Real-time Visual Feedback
Other interventionRunners will visualize their real-time ground contact time (GCT) measured by the RunScribe on a TV screen. They will be instructed to run with a goal of matching their target GCT. Their target GCT will be 5% less than their baseline.
Real-time Auditory Feedback
Other interventionRunners will be instructed to match their step rate to a target step rate, 10% above their baseline step rate. A metronome will be played over a speaker to provide real-time auditory feedback of the target step rate.
Real-time Verbal Feedback
Other interventionThe clinician will provide real-time verbal feedback to runner to "pull your foot off the ground as quickly as you can," every 15 seconds during the retraining condition.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Ground Contact Time
The amount of time in milliseconds that the foot remains in contact with the ground while running. GCT will be measured through the RunScribe device.
Secondary outcomes
Step Rate
Number of steps per minute that the participant takes in one minute while running.
Average Vertical Loading Rate (AVLR)
Measured in Bodyweights/second. Total interval considered for loading rate is the start of stance phase through the impact peak location. We will calculate the average loading rate from 20% of the impact peak value to 80% of the impact peak magnitude.
Braking Impulse
Kg\*m/s. The impulse associated with the deceleration while running.
Step Length
The distance measured in centimeters while running from one foot strike to the next foot strike.
Sponsors and contacts
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