Foot strike pattern during running alters muscle-tendon dynamics of the gastrocnemius and the soleus

Running is thought to be an efficient gait due, in part, to the behavior of the plantar flexor muscles and elastic energy storage in the Achilles tendon. Although plantar flexor muscle mechanics and Achilles tendon energy storage have been explored during rearfoot striking, they have not been fully...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inScientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 5872
Main Authors Yong, Jennifer R, Dembia, Christopher L, Silder, Amy, Jackson, Rachel W, Fredericson, Michael, Delp, Scott L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Nature Publishing Group 03.04.2020
Nature Publishing Group UK
Subjects
Achilles tendon
Achilles Tendon - physiology
Adult
Biomechanical Phenomena - physiology
Computer Simulation
Electromyography
Energy storage
Feet
Female
Foot
Gait
Humans
Male
Mechanics
Muscle contraction
Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - physiology
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Muscles
Running
Running - physiology
Sex Factors
Tendons
Tendons - physiology
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Running is thought to be an efficient gait due, in part, to the behavior of the plantar flexor muscles and elastic energy storage in the Achilles tendon. Although plantar flexor muscle mechanics and Achilles tendon energy storage have been explored during rearfoot striking, they have not been fully characterized during forefoot striking. This study examined how plantar flexor muscle-tendon mechanics during running differs between rearfoot and forefoot striking. We used musculoskeletal simulations, driven by joint angles and electromyography recorded from runners using both rearfoot and forefoot striking running patterns, to characterize plantar flexor muscle-tendon mechanics. The simulations revealed that foot strike pattern affected the soleus and gastrocnemius differently. For the soleus, forefoot striking decreased tendon energy storage and fiber work done while the muscle fibers were shortening compared to rearfoot striking. For the gastrocnemius, forefoot striking increased muscle activation and fiber work done while the muscle fibers were lengthening compared to rearfoot striking. These changes in gastrocnemius mechanics suggest that runners planning to convert to forefoot striking might benefit from a progressive eccentric gastrocnemius strengthening program to avoid injury.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-62464-3