Effects of Foot-Strike Pattern on Neuromuscular Function During a Prolonged Graded Run

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Biomechanics
• Sports science

Background:

• Running involves various foot strike patterns, primarily rear-foot strike (RFS) and non-rear-foot strike (non-RFS).
• Neuromuscular fatigue is a critical factor in endurance performance, particularly in prolonged events like trail running.
• The influence of different foot strike patterns on neuromuscular fatigue remains an area of investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if rear-foot strikers (RFS) or non-rear-foot strikers (non-RFS) experience different levels of neuromuscular fatigue after a prolonged graded run.
• To compare the neuromuscular fatigue response between RFS and non-RFS runners during typical-level running.
• To determine the impact of dominant foot strike patterns on neuromuscular fatigue in endurance running.

Main Methods:

• Sixteen experienced male trail runners (8 RFS, 8 non-RFS) participated.
• Participants completed a 2.5-hour graded running exercise on a treadmill.
• Neuromuscular tests, electromyography, and biomechanical gait analysis were performed pre- and post-exercise.

Main Results:

• No significant time × foot strike interactions were found for neuromuscular variables (P ≥ .742).
• Muscle activation and biomechanical parameters also showed no significant interactions (P ≥ .157 and P ≥ .096, respectively).
• These findings indicate similar neuromuscular fatigue development regardless of foot strike pattern.

Conclusions:

• A dominant running foot strike pattern does not directly influence the extent of neuromuscular fatigue during prolonged graded running.
• This suggests that neither RFS nor non-RFS is superior for minimizing neuromuscular fatigue in long-duration trail running.
• The findings imply that other factors may be more critical in managing fatigue during such events.