| Popis: |
Context: Running is a popular sport across the US and among adolescents with injury rates reported at 17 injuries per 1,000 hours of running. Neutral and motion control shoes are two popular types of shoes with different advertised biomechanical goals. The effects of footwear have been widely investigated in adults, with limited evidence supporting meaningful biomechanical changes, while the adolescent population is left lacking in research. Objective: To investigate the kinematic, kinetic, and comfort levels of adolescent distance runners in both neutral and motion control shoes. Design: Repeated measures cross sectional cohort. Setting: Laboratory. Participants: 14 healthy adolescent long-distance runners. Inclusion: male and females, participate on school cross country team, no injury in last 6 months. Interventions: Participants completed over ground running trials and a comfort visual analog scale (VAS) for personal, neutral, and motion control footwear conditions. Main Outcome Measures: Video from a 12-camera 3D motion analysis system provided kinematic data (peak joint angles) and inground force plates were used to measure kinetic variables (ground reaction forces). Kinematics, kinetics, and comfort VAS were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA statistical tests. Results: Ankle dorsiflexion was significantly greater in motion control shoes than neutral shoes (p = .003, 1.4°). Shoe eversion was greater in neutral shoes than personal (p = .001, 1.7°) and motion control conditions (p = .03, 1.2°). Shoe inversion was greater in personal shoes than neutral (p = .01, 1.7°) and motion control shoes (p = .03, 1.3°). Results did not meet minimal detectable change (MDC) threshold (2.3°). Self-reported comfort found significant main effects for heel width (p = .02) and arch comfort (p = .04). Conclusions: There is no meaningful difference in running kinematics or kinetics between neutral and motion control footwear in adolescent long-distance runners. Young runners are encouraged to make footwear decisions based on comfort. |
