SPATIOTEMPORAL AND JOINT KINEMATIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FOOTSTRIKE PATTERNS IN MALE AND FEMALE 10,000M ATHLETES

Authors

Brian Hanley, Leeds Beckett UniversityFollow
Aaron L. Thomas, Leeds Beckett UniversityFollow
Catherine B. Tucker, Leeds Beckett UniversityFollow

Category

Athletics

Document Type

Paper

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine biomechanical differences between footstrike patterns in elite 10,000m racing. Video data of 53 men and 33 women were recorded in competition and used to compare spatiotemporal and joint kinematic variables between rearfoot, midfoot and forefoot strikers, and to find associations. There were no differences between footstrike patterns for speed, step length or cadence, but rearfoot strikers had longer contact times than forefoot and midfoot strikers by 0.017 and 0.014 s, respectively, and shorter flight times by 0.023 and 0.021 s, respectively. The main causes of different footstrike patterns were the ankle and foot angles at initial contact; thigh, knee and shank angles differed little. In women, longer hip-ankle “overstriding” distances were associated with faster running speeds (r = 0.58), and so were a positive contributor to performance.

Recommended Citation

Hanley, Brian; Thomas, Aaron L.; and Tucker, Catherine B. (2022) "SPATIOTEMPORAL AND JOINT KINEMATIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FOOTSTRIKE PATTERNS IN MALE AND FEMALE 10,000M ATHLETES," ISBS Proceedings Archive: Vol. 40: Iss. 1, Article 64.
Available at: https://commons.nmu.edu/isbs/vol40/iss1/64