Drills, gait retraining, injuries, sport technique
Abstract :
[en] Purpose To date, the relationship between footstrike pattern and performance, as well as with injury incidence in endurance running remains unclear. For these reasons, it is currently not recommended to modify footstrike pattern in an uninjured long-distance runner. The purpose of this study was to analyse whether athletic coaches apply these current scientific recommendations with their endurance runners on the field. Methods A Delphi method study was used to develop an online survey that was administered to French-speaking athletic coaches in Belgium. The survey comprised three sections: 1) coaches’ profile, 2) coaches’ perception of footstrike patterns, 3) practices pertaining to footstrike patterns. Results One hundred and fourteen respondents completed the entire questionnaire. Ninety-six (84%) athletic coaches reported modifying the footstrike pattern of their endurance runners. They reported that they modify their runners’ rearfoot and forefoot strike more often than a midfoot strike (P < 0.0001) to prevent injury (83%) and to improve performance (66%). According to them, midfoot strike is considered as the best landing pattern for endurance performance (47%) and injury prevention (36%) whereas rearfoot strike is considered as the worst (respectively, 50% and 52%). Summary and conclusion This study highlights the disparities between scientific recommendations and athletic coaches’ field practices for modifying footstrike patterns in endurance runners. Contrary to current scientific literature recommendations, a large proportion of coaches modify the natural footstrike pattern of their endurance runners towards a midfoot strike pattern to improve performance and prevent injury.
Disciplines :
Human health sciences: Multidisciplinary, general & others
Author, co-author :
Abran, Guillaume ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Motion analysis research unit (MARU) ; Laboratory of Human Motion Analysis, Liège, Belgium
Delvaux, François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la motricité
Schwartz, Cédric ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Motion analysis research unit (MARU) ; Laboratory of Human Motion Analysis, Liège, Belgium
Martens, Géraldine ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > > Service de médecine de l'appareil locomoteur
Hody, Stéphanie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Motion analysis research unit (MARU)
Dardenne, Nadia ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Santé publique : de la Biostatistique à la Promotion de la Santé
Bruyère, Olivier ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unité de recherche Santé publique, épidémiologie et économie de la santé (URSAPES) ; Department of Motricity Sciences, University of Liège, Liege, Belgium ; WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Aspects of Musculoskeletal Health and Aging, Division of Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Economics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
BORNHEIM, Stephen ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > > Service de médecine de l'appareil locomoteur
CROISIER, Jean-Louis ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > > Service de médecine de l'appareil locomoteur ; Laboratory of Human Motion Analysis, Liège, Belgium
Language :
English
Title :
Current perception and practice of athletics coaches about the modification of footstrike pattern in endurance runners: A survey
Publication date :
14 June 2022
Journal title :
International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching
Hulme A Nielsen RO Timpka T, et al. Risk and protective factors for middle- and long-distance running-related injury. Sports Med 2017; 47: 869–886.
Van Poppel D Van der Worp M Slabbekoorn A, et al. Risk factors for overuse injuries in short- and long-distance running: a systematic review. J Sport Health Sci 2021; 10: 14–28.
Ogueta-Alday A Morante JC Gómez-Molina J, et al. Similarities and differences among half-marathon runners according to their performance level. PLoS ONE 2018; 13: e0191688–e0191698.
Casado A Hanley B Santos-Concejero J, et al. World-Class long-distance running performances are best predicted by volume of easy runs and deliberate practice of short-interval and tempo runs. J Strength Cond Res 2021; 35: 2525–2531.
Fokkema T de Vos R-J Visser E, et al. Enhanced injury prevention programme for recreational runners (the SPRINT study): design of a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2020; 6: e000780–e000787.
Stam C Valkenberg H. Sportblessures in Nederland. 2019; 44.
Burke A Dillon S O’Connor S, et al. Risk factors for injuries in runners: a systematic review of foot strike technique and its classification at impact. Orthop J Sports Med 2021; 9: 9–19.
Lieberman DE. What we can learn about running from barefoot running: an evolutionary medical perspective. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 2012; 40: 10.
Hasegawa H Yamauchi T Kraemer WJ. Foot strike patterns of runners at the 15-km point during an elite-level half marathon. J Strength Cond Res 2007; 21: 888–893.
Larson P Higgins E Kaminski J, et al. Foot strike patterns of recreational and sub-elite runners in a long-distance road race. J Sports Sci 2011; 29: 1665–1673.
Kasmer ME Wren JJ Hoffman MD. Foot strike pattern and gait changes during a 161-km ultramarathon. J Strength Cond Res 2014; 28: 1343–1350.
Hanley B Tucker CB Bissas A, et al. Footstrike patterns and race performance in the 2017 IAAF world championship men’s 10,000 m final. Sports Biomech 2021: 1–10.
Hébert-Losier K Patoz A Gindre C, et al. Footstrike pattern at the 10 km and 39 km points of the Singapore marathon in recreational runners. Footwear Sci 2021; 13: 43–53.
Daoud AI Geissler GJ Wang F, et al. Foot strike and injury rates in endurance runners: a retrospective study. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2012; 44: 1325–1334.
Gruber AH Edwards WB Hamill J, et al. Ground reaction forces in rearfoot and forefoot running assessed by a continuous wavelet transform. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2015; 47: 710.
Van der Worp H Vrielink JW Bredeweg SW. Do runners who suffer injuries have higher vertical ground reaction forces than those who remain injury-free? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2016; 50: 450–457.
Goss DL Gross MT. Relationships among self-reported shoe type, footstrike pattern, and injury incidence. US Army Med Dep J 2012: 25–30.
Davis IS Bowser BJ Mullineaux DR Greater vertical impact loading in female runners with medically diagnosed injuries: a prospective investigation. Br J Sports Med 2016; 50: 887–892.
Warr BJ Fellin RE Sauer SG, et al. Characterization of foot-strike patterns: lack of an association with injuries or performance in soldiers. Mil Med 2015; 180: 830–834.
Messier SP Martin DF Mihalko SL, et al. A 2-year prospective cohort study of overuse running injuries: the runners and injury longitudinal study (TRAILS). Am J Sports Med 2018; 46: 2211–2221.
Anderson LM Bonanno DR Hart HF, et al. What are the benefits and risks associated with changing foot strike pattern during running? A systematic review and meta-analysis of injury, running economy, and biomechanics. Sports Med 2020; 50: 885–917.
Perl DP Daoud AI Lieberman DE. Effects of footwear and strike type on running economy. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2012; 44: 1335–1343.
Gruber AH Umberger BR Braun B, et al. Economy and rate of carbohydrate oxidation during running with rearfoot and forefoot strike patterns. J Appl Physiol 2013; 115: 194–201.
Patoz A Lussiana T Breine B, et al. There is no global running pattern more economic than another at endurance running speeds. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2022; 10: 1–4.
Nichols R Germano C Burke M, et al. The effects of foot strike on running economy in distance runners: a narrative review. Phys Ther Rev 2016; 21: 32–37.
Barton CJ Bonanno DR Carr J, et al. Running retraining to treat lower limb injuries: a mixed-methods study of current evidence synthesised with expert opinion. Br J Sports Med 2016; 50: 513–526.
Vella S Bolling C Verhagen E, et al. Perceiving, reporting and managing an injury – perspectives from national team football players, coaches, and health professionals. Sci Med Footb 2021: 1–13.
Moore IS. Is there an economical running technique? A review of modifiable biomechanical factors affecting running economy. Sports Med 2016; 46: 793–807.
Fullagar HHK McCall A Impellizzeri FM, et al. The translation of sport science research to the field: a current opinion and overview on the perceptions of practitioners, researchers and coaches. Sports Med 2019; 49: 1817–1824.
Eysenbach G. Improving the quality of web surveys: the checklist for reporting results of internet E-surveys (CHERRIES). J Med Internet Res 2004; 6: e34.
Fox J. The R commander: a basic statistics graphical user interface to R. J Stat Softw 2005; 14: 1–42.
Almeida MO Davis IS Lopes AD. Biomechanical differences of foot-strike patterns during running: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015; 45: 738–755.
Ceyssens L Vanelderen R Barton C, et al. Biomechanical risk factors associated with running-related injuries: a systematic review. Sports Med 2019; 49: 1095–1115.
Hollander K Johnson CD Outerleys J, et al. Multifactorial determinants of running injury locations in 550 injured recreational runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2021; 53: 102–107.
Arendse RE Noakes TD Azevedo LB, et al. Reduced eccentric loading of the knee with the pose running method. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36: 272–277.
Vannatta CN Kernozek TW. Patellofemoral joint stress during running with alterations in foot strike pattern. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2015; 47: 1001–1008.
Kuhman D Melcher D Paquette MR Ankle and knee kinetics between strike patterns at common training speeds in competitive male runners. Eur J Sport Sci 2016; 16: 433–440.
Barton CJ. Managing RISK when treating the injured runner with running retraining, load management and exercise therapy. Phys Ther Sport 2018; 29: 79–83.
Fredette A Roy J-S Perreault K, et al. The association between running injuries and training parameters: a systematic review. J Athl Train Epub ahead of print 3 September 2021. DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-0195.21
Bovalino SP Cunningham NJ Zordan RD, et al. Change in foot strike patterns and performance in recreational runners during a road race: a cross-sectional study. J Sci Med Sport 2020; 23: 621–624.
Jewell C Boyer KA Hamill J. Do footfall patterns in forefoot runners change over an exhaustive run? J. Sports Sci 2017; 35: 74–80.
Hashizume S Yanagiya T. A forefoot strike requires the highest forces applied to the foot among foot strike patterns. Sports Med Int Open 2017; 01: E37–E42.
Ruder M Jamison ST Tenforde A, et al. Relationship of foot strike pattern and landing impacts during a marathon. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2019; 51: 2073–2079.
Jamison ST Young B Davis IS. Are midfoot strike patterns similar to forefoot strike patterns when running in minimal footwear? In: Proceedings of the 40th Conference of the American Society of Biomechanics. Raleigh, USA, August 2nd – 5th, 2016.
Allen DJ Heisler H Mooney J, et al. The effect of step rate manipulation on foot strike pattern of long distance runners. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2016; 11: 54–63.
Hall JPL Barton C Jones PR, et al. The biomechanical differences between barefoot and shod distance running: a systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis. Sports Med 2013; 43: 1335–1353.
Moore IS Pitt W Nunns M, et al. Effects of a seven-week minimalist footwear transition programme on footstrike modality, pressure variables and loading rates. Footwear Sci 2015; 7: 17–29.
Whelan N Kenny IC Harrison AJ. An insight into coaches’ knowledge and use of sprinting drills to improve sprinting technique and performance. Int J Sports Sci 2016; 16: 182–190.
Azevedo APS Barbanti VJ Amadio AC. Usage of running drills in an interval training program: implications related to biomechanical parameters of running. J Strength Cond Res 2015; 29: 1796–1802.
