The Effect of Foot Strike Pattern on Achilles Tendon Load During Running

• Published in: Annals of biomedical engineering Vol. 41; no. 8; pp. 1758 - 1766
• Main Authors: Almonroeder, Thomas, Willson, John D., Kernozek, Thomas W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.08.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Achilles Tendon - physiology; Adaptation, Physiological - physiology; Adolescent; Adult; Biochemistry; Biological and Medical Physics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedicine; Biophysics; Classical Mechanics; Computer Simulation; Foot - physiology; Humans; Load distribution; Male; Models, Biological; Running - physiology; Stress, Mechanical; Tensile Strength - physiology; Weight-Bearing - physiology; Young Adult; Barefoot; Soleus; Gastrocnemius; Muscle force
• ISSN: 0090-6964; 1573-9686
• DOI: 10.1007/s10439-013-0819-1

In this study we compared Achilles tendon loading parameters during barefoot running among females with different foot strike patterns using open-source computer muscle modeling software to provide dynamic simulations of running. Muscle forces of the gastrocnemius and soleus were estimated from experimental data collected in a motion capture laboratory during barefoot running for 11 runners utilizing a rearfoot strike (RFS) and 8 runners utilizing a non-RFS (NRFS) pattern. Our results show that peak Achilles tendon force occurred earlier in stance phase ( p  = 0.007), which contributed to a 15% increase in average Achilles tendon loading rate among participants adopting a NRFS pattern ( p  = 0.06). Stance time, step length, and the estimated number of steps per mile were similar between groups. However, runners with a NRFS pattern experienced 11% greater Achilles tendon impulse each step ( p  = 0.05) and nearly significantly greater Achilles tendon impulse per mile run ( p  = 0.06). This difference equates to an additional 47.7 body weights for each mile run with a NRFS pattern. Runners considering a NRFS pattern may want to account for these novel stressors and adapt training programs accordingly.