A 4-week instructed minimalist running transition and gait-retraining changes plantar pressure and force

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports 2014-12, Vol.24 (6), p.964-973
• Main Authors: Warne, J. P., Kilduff, S. M., Gregan, B. C., Nevill, A. M., Moran, K. A., Warrington, G. D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: barefoot running; biomechanics; Cross-Over Studies; Exercise; Female; Foot - physiology; footwear; Gait - physiology; Humans; injury; Kinesiology; Physical Education and Training; Running; Running - physiology; running performance; running technique; Shoes; Sports Equipment; Sports medicine; Weight-Bearing; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0905-7188; 1600-0838
• DOI: 10.1111/sms.12121

The purpose of this study is to compare changes in plantar pressure and force using conventional running shoes (CRS) and minimalist footwear (MFW) pre and post a 4‐week MFW familiarization period. Ten female runners (age: 21 ± 2 years; stature: 165.8 ± 4.5 cm; mass: 55.9 ± 3.2 kg) completed two 11 km/h treadmill runs, 24 hours apart, in both CRS and MFW (pretest). Plantar data were measured using sensory insoles for foot strike patterns, stride frequency, mean maximum force ( M ⁢ F ¯ ), mean maximum pressure ( M ⁢ P ¯ ) and eight mean maximum regional pressures. Subjects then completed a 4‐week familiarization period consisting of running in MFW and simple gait‐retraining, before repeating the tests (posttest). During the pretests, 30% of subjects adopted a forefoot strike in MFW, following familiarization this increased to 80%; no change occurred in CRS. A significant decrease in M ⁢ F ¯ in both MFW and CRS (P = 0.024) was observed from pre‐post, and a significant decrease in heel pressures in MFW. M ⁢ P ¯ was higher in MFW throughout testing (P