Biomechanical Strategies for Minimizing Force Plate Targeting Effects during Running: Efficacy of Masked Force Plate...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Science
• Human Movement Analysis

Background:

• The visual presence of measurement tools can influence human movement.
• Accurate gait analysis is crucial for understanding running biomechanics and injury prevention.
• Existing methods for gait data acquisition may be susceptible to observer effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a visible force plate on running gait.
• To develop and evaluate a step guidance strategy (SGS) to minimize visual targeting effects.
• To improve the success rate of gait data acquisition during running.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-two healthy male participants ran under three conditions: masked force plate (MASK), visible force plate (UNMASK), and masked force plate with SGS.
• Kinematic, kinetic, and surface electromyography (sEMG) data were collected.
• Data acquisition success rates and gait parameters were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Data acquisition success rates were 30% (MASK), 65.75% (UNMASK), and 84.21% (SGS).
• The UNMASK condition showed altered gait parameters including increased stride time, decreased stance time, and modified ground reaction forces (GRF).
• The SGS significantly improved data acquisition success and reduced gait alterations compared to the UNMASK condition.

Conclusions:

• The visual presence of a force plate induces a 'targeting effect' that compromises the reliability of running gait data.
• The developed step guidance strategy (SGS) effectively counteracts this targeting effect.
• SGS implementation substantially enhances the success rate of gait data acquisition, leading to more dependable biomechanical analysis.