Variation in Foot Strike Patterns among Habitually Barefoot and Shod Runners in Kenya.

ABSTRACT: Runners are often categorized as forefoot, midfoot or rearfoot strikers, but how much and why do individuals vary in foot strike patterns when running on level terrain? This study used general linear mixed-effects models to explore both intra- and inter-individual variations in foot strike pattern among 48 Kalenjin-speaking participants from Kenya who varied in age, sex, body mass, height, running history, and habitual use of footwear. High speed video was used to measure lower extremity kinematics at ground contact in the sagittal plane while participants ran down 13 meter-long tracks with three variables independently controlled: speed, track stiffness, and step frequency. 72% of the habitually barefoot and 32% of the habitually shod participants used multiple strike types, with signific

SUBMITTER: Lieberman DE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4495985 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature