Effects of deceptive footwear condition on subjective comfort and running biomechanics

Comfort is a major criterion for footwear selection. Previous studies have suggested that physical properties were not enough to predict comfort and psychological factors could also affect the perception. To understand comfort, this study examined the effect of controlled shoe description and price cue on the perception of comfort. Furthermore, this study also examined the running biomechanics in response to footwear conditions of differing comfort. Fifteen runners completed treadmill running tests in two conditions: Shoe A and Shoe B. The same pair of neutral running shoes was used in both conditions, yet, Shoe B was described to be the “latest model designed to maximize comfort” and more expensive than Shoe A. Comfort assessment was conducted after the running trial of each condition. Participants reported significantly greater comfort in Shoe B than Shoe A (p=0.011, Cohen’s d=0.70). There were no significant differences found among the temporal-spatial parameters (p>0.916) and the vertical loading rates (p>0.161) when comparing the more and less comfortable conditions. In conclusion, runners exhibited a biased perception of footwear comfort when presented with different shoe description and price information. However, such a difference in perceived comfort alone is not likely to affect running biomechanics

Gait Retraining for the Reduction of Injury Occurrence in Novice Distance Runners: 1-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The increasing popularity of distance running has been accompanied by an increase in running-related injuries, such that up to 85% of novice runners incur an injury in a given year. Previous studies have used a gait retraining program to successfully lower impact loading, which has been associated with many running ailments. However, softer footfalls may not necessarily prevent running injury. Purpose: To examine vertical loading rates before and after a gait retraining program and assess the effectiveness of the program in reducing the occurrence of running-related injury across a 12-month observation period. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A total of 320 novice runners from the local running club completed this study. All the participants underwent a baseline running biomechanics evaluation on an instrumented treadmill with their usual running shoes at 8 and 12 km/h. Participants were then randomly assigned to either the gait retraining group or the control group. In the gait retraining group (n = 166), participants received 2 weeks of gait retraining with real-time visual feedback. In the control group (n = 154), participants received treadmill running exercise but without visual feedback on their performance. The training time was identical between the 2 groups. Participants’ running mechanics were reassessed after the training, and their 12-month posttraining injury profiles were tracked by use of an online surveillance platform. Results: A significant reduction was found in the vertical loading rates at both testing speeds in the gait retraining group (P 0.99), whereas the loading rates were either similar or slightly increased in the control group after training (P = .001 to 0.461, Cohen’s d = 0.03 to −0.14). At 12-month follow-up, the occurrence of running-related musculoskeletal injury was 16% and 38% in the gait retraining and control groups, respectively. The hazard ratio between gait retraining and control groups was 0.38 (95% CI, 0.25-0.59), indicating a 62% lower injury risk in gait-retrained runners compared with controls. Conclusion: A 2-week gait retraining program is effective in lowering impact loading in novice runners. More important, the occurrence of injury is 62% lower after 2 weeks of running gait modification. Registration: HKUCTR-1996 (University of Hong Kong Clinical Trials Registry)

Gait Retraining for the Reduction of Injury Occurrence in Novice Distance Runners: 1-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The increasing popularity of distance running has been accompanied by an increase in running-related injuries, such that up to 85% of novice runners incur an injury in a given year. Previous studies have used a gait retraining program to successfully lower impact loading, which has been associated with many running ailments. However, softer footfalls may not necessarily prevent running injury. Purpose: To examine vertical loading rates before and after a gait retraining program and assess the effectiveness of the program in reducing the occurrence of running-related injury across a 12-month observation period. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A total of 320 novice runners from the local running club completed this study. All the participants underwent a baseline running biomechanics evaluation on an instrumented treadmill with their usual running shoes at 8 and 12 km/h. Participants were then randomly assigned to either the gait retraining group or the control group. In the gait retraining group (n = 166), participants received 2 weeks of gait retraining with real-time visual feedback. In the control group (n = 154), participants received treadmill running exercise but without visual feedback on their performance. The training time was identical between the 2 groups. Participants’ running mechanics were reassessed after the training, and their 12-month posttraining injury profiles were tracked by use of an online surveillance platform. Results: A significant reduction was found in the vertical loading rates at both testing speeds in the gait retraining group (P < .001, Cohen’s d > 0.99), whereas the loading rates were either similar or slightly increased in the control group after training (P = .001 to 0.461, Cohen’s d = 0.03 to −0.14). At 12-month follow-up, the occurrence of running-related musculoskeletal injury was 16% and 38% in the gait retraining and control groups, respectively. The hazard ratio between gait retraining and control groups was 0.38 (95% CI, 0.25-0.59), indicating a 62% lower injury risk in gait-retrained runners compared with controls. Conclusion: A 2-week gait retraining program is effective in lowering impact loading in novice runners. More important, the occurrence of injury is 62% lower after 2 weeks of running gait modification. Registration: HKUCTR-1996 (University of Hong Kong Clinical Trials Registry)