Changes in Key Biomechanical Parameters According to the Expertise Level in Runners at Different Running Speeds

Abstract

Running has become increasingly popular worldwide. Among runners, there exists a wide range of expertise levels. Investigating the differences between runners at two extreme levels, that is novices and experts, is crucial to understand the changes that occur as a result of multiple years of training. Vertical oscillation of center of mass (CoM), stride frequency normalized to the leg length, and duty factor, which describes the step time relative to the flight time, are key biomechanical parameters that have been shown to be closely related to the running economy and are used to characterize the running style. The variability characteristics of these parameters may reveal valuable information concerning the control of human locomotion. However, how the expertise level and running speed affect the variability of these key biomechanical parameters has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of expertise level (novice vs. expert) and running speed (10 km/h vs. 15 km/h) on these parameters and their variability. It was hypothesized that expert runners would have lower vertical oscillation of CoM, normalized stride frequency, and duty factor and show less variability in these parameters. The parameters’ variability was operationalized by the coefficient of variation. The mean values and variability of these key biomechanical parameters according to expertise level and running speed were compared with rmANOVAs. The results showed that the experts had a lower duty factor and less variable vertical oscillation of CoM and normalized stride frequency, independently of the running speed. At a higher running speed, the variability of vertical oscillation of CoM was higher, whereas that of normalized stride frequency and duty factor did not change significantly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study analyzing the effects of expertise level and running speed on the variability of key biomechanical parameters.

The Relationship Between Running Biomechanics and Running Economy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

“…In support of this, it has recently been demonstrated that individuals adopt a technique that avoids overburdening individual muscles (i.e., minimization of individual muscle fatigue) during walking, despite this leading to a higher overall metabolic cost [ 165 ]. This may therefore explain some conflicting findings between our review and studies that compared running biomechanics between groups of runners differing in running performance or training experience [ 166 – 169 ].…”

Using statistical parametric mapping to assess the association of duty factor and step frequency on running kinetic

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Advances in Biomechanics-Based Motion Analysis

“…Li et al [ 8 ] investigated the effects of different shoe-heel heights on pregnant women’s walking balance, providing new insights on reducing fall risks in this population. Fadillioglu et al [ 9 ] compared running patterns in novice runners vs. expert runners, and identified the key spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters indicating better running performance. In addition, Fernandes et al [ 10 ] conducted a comprehensive review on whether swimming performance is related to kinematic parameters, i.e., intracycle velocity variations.…”