None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Providing feedback to runners outside of laboratory settings may be more advantageous than traditional laboratory-based feedback due to reduced associated costs and improved accessibility. With advancements in wearable technology, it is now possible to use small wireless sensors, called inertial measurement units (IMU), to provide runners with real-time feedback on variables associated with injury in their usual running environment. This project will determine the effects of field-based gait retraining using real-time biofeedback from wearable sensors in high impact runners and assess whether any biomechanical effects are retained at 1-month post retraining. To assess our project aims we plan to recruit 30 healthy runners with high landing impacts. Participants will be randomised into an intervention group that will receive real-time feedback to lower their landing impacts or a control group that be provided with a sham IMU and not receive any feedback during field-based running sessions. Groups will be compared post-training and at 1-month post-training. The expected findings may provide an IMU-based method of running gait retraining and allow for large-scale translation of the results to field settings and reduce the reliance on laboratory-based gait retraining.
Interventions
Real-time feedback of landing impact forces will be the intervention in this study.
The intervention will consist of a running gait retraining intervention. Runners will be provided with small wearable sensors called inertial measurement units (IMU) to wear on each ankle. The intervention group will complete eight field-based runs lasting 15 to 30 minutes over a 3-week period while wearing these IMUs and will receive real-time audible feedback of their landing impacts. A GPS watch and heart rat
Real-time feedback of landing impact forces will be the intervention in this study. The intervention will consist of a running gait retraining intervention. Runners will be provided with small wearable sensors called inertial measurement units (IMU) to wear on each ankle. The intervention group will complete eight field-based runs lasting 15 to 30 minutes over a 3-week period while wearing these IMUs and will receive real-time audible feedback of their landing impacts. A GPS watch and heart rate monitor will be provided to participants for the duration for the study and running sessions will be pre-programmed on participants' watches. The audible feedback will be provided through in-ear headphones connected to an iOS application that is paired to the IMUs. Runners will attempt to lower their landing impacts in response to the feedback provided. Participants will hear a high-pitched sound each time they exceed their pre-determined impact threshold (20% reduction from baseline values). Field-based running sessions will commence at 15 mins in duration and increase by 3 mins each run until a maximum of 30 minutes is reached, which will be maintained for the remaining runs. Feedback duration will be continuous for Runs 1-4 and gradually removed the final four runs with total feedback duration for Run 5 = 21 mins, Runs 6 = 15 mins, Run 7 = 9 mins, and Run 8 = 3 mins. Participants will be instructed to complete all runs outdoors in their local area on a firm surface (i.e., not grass or sand) with minimal gradient change, where possible. Running speed will be controlled using GPS watches with pre-defined "pacing zones" (± 5% of preferred speed determined at screening) to ensure stable running speeds across each run. Adherence to this field-based running protocol will be monitored in a study diary that participants will be required to fill out following each field-based run and using the GPS watch and heart rate monitor that records running pace, gradient, and heart rate.
Sponsors
Macquarie University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Run at least 10 km per week on average over the previous three months. Own or have access to an iOS 12+ smartphone (necessary for recording field-based outcomes through an iOS application). Fluent in English. Identified as a high impact runner (defined as having a peak tibial acceleration >9 g while running at 3.7 m/s during a screening assessment)
Exclusion criteria
1) Recent running-related lower limb injuries (within the past six weeks). 2) History of lower limb surgery or any neurological, inflammatory, or rheumatoid disease that may affect running gait.
Outcome results
None listed