Acute changes in sagittal plane kinematics while wearing a novel belt device during treadmill running

ABSTRACT

Somatosensory feedback is used in walking retraining; however, its utility in running is less feasible due to the greater associated speeds. The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of wearing a novel running belt device on sagittal plane running kinematics. Ten healthy runners ran on a treadmill with and without the use of a running belt device within a repeated measures study design. Temporal-spatial characteristics and sagittal plane knee and ankle kinematics were recorded with three-dimensional motion analysis. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests revealed significant decreases in centre of mass vertical displacement (z = −2.083, p = 0.003), tibial inclination at initial contact (z = −2.803, p = 0.003), and stance phase knee joint excursion (z = −2.701, p = 0.003), and greater knee flexion at initial contact (z = −2.803, p = 0.003) when the belt was donned. No differences were observed in step rate (z = −0.351, p = 0.363), foot inclination angle at initial contact (z = −2.090, p = 0.018), or peak knee flexion during stance (z = −1.172, p = 0.121). Findings suggest that donning a running belt can minimise specific high-risk biomechanical characteristics in runners with particular kinematic profiles.

KEYWORDS:

• Feedback methods
• gait/locomotion
• motion analysis
• techniques

Author statement

Each of the authors has read and concurs with the content in the final manuscript. The material within has not been and will not be submitted for publication elsewhere except as an abstract.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

IRB statement

Institutional Review Board of the New York Institute of Technology approved this study. Protocol number: BHS-1258

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by New York Institute of Technology Institutional Support for Research and Creativity grant but had no involvement in study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the article for publication.