TY - JOUR
T1 - Eight weeks gait retraining in minimalist footwear has no effect on running economy
AU - Warne, Joe P.
AU - Moran, Kieran A.
AU - Warrington, Giles D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - Purpose: To evaluate the effects of an eight week combined minimalist footwear (MFW) and gait-retraining intervention on running economy (RE) and kinematics in conventional footwear runners. Methods: Twenty-three trained male runners (age: 43±10years, stature: 177.2±9.2cm, body mass: 72.8±10.2kg, V˙O2max: 56.5±7.0mLmin-1kg-1) were recruited. Participants were assigned to either an intervention group (n=13) who gradually increased exposure to MFW and also implemented gait-retraining over an eight week period. RE and kinematics were measured in both MFW and conventional running shoes (CRS) at pre-tests and eight weeks, in a random order. In contrast the control group (n=10) had no MFW exposure or gait retraining and were only tested in CRS. Results: The MFW and gait re-training intervention had no effect on RE (p<. .001). However, RE was significantly better in MFW (mean difference 2.72%; p= .002) at both pre and post-tests compared to CRS. Step frequency increased as a result of the intervention (+5.7 steps per minute [spm]; p<. .001), and was also significantly higher in MFW vs. CRS (+7.5. spm; p<. .001). Conclusion: Whilst a better RE in MFW was observed when compared to CRS due to shoe mass, familiarization to MFW with gait-retraining was not found to influence RE.
AB - Purpose: To evaluate the effects of an eight week combined minimalist footwear (MFW) and gait-retraining intervention on running economy (RE) and kinematics in conventional footwear runners. Methods: Twenty-three trained male runners (age: 43±10years, stature: 177.2±9.2cm, body mass: 72.8±10.2kg, V˙O2max: 56.5±7.0mLmin-1kg-1) were recruited. Participants were assigned to either an intervention group (n=13) who gradually increased exposure to MFW and also implemented gait-retraining over an eight week period. RE and kinematics were measured in both MFW and conventional running shoes (CRS) at pre-tests and eight weeks, in a random order. In contrast the control group (n=10) had no MFW exposure or gait retraining and were only tested in CRS. Results: The MFW and gait re-training intervention had no effect on RE (p<. .001). However, RE was significantly better in MFW (mean difference 2.72%; p= .002) at both pre and post-tests compared to CRS. Step frequency increased as a result of the intervention (+5.7 steps per minute [spm]; p<. .001), and was also significantly higher in MFW vs. CRS (+7.5. spm; p<. .001). Conclusion: Whilst a better RE in MFW was observed when compared to CRS due to shoe mass, familiarization to MFW with gait-retraining was not found to influence RE.
KW - Barefoot running
KW - Footwear
KW - Performance
KW - Running technique
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84931272440&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.humov.2015.05.005
DO - 10.1016/j.humov.2015.05.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 26046622
AN - SCOPUS:84931272440
SN - 0167-9457
VL - 42
SP - 183
EP - 192
JO - Human Movement Science
JF - Human Movement Science
ER -