Effect of foam properties and cushioning position of running shoes on injury risk in leisure-time runners: A randomised trial

Project Details

Description

The health benefits associated with running are well documented. However, the high injury incidence cancels out part of these benefits. Indeed, the long-term consequences of injuries include a reduction of physical activity, early-onset osteoarthritis, and thus an increase in health care costs. While the mechanisms leading to running-related injury are multifactorial and still need to be understood, footwear is a modifiable factor that may be developed with the aim to decrease the risk of running-related injury. Surprisingly, the literature on the association between single shoe features and injury risk is still poor. Our previous work has provided evidence that shoe cushioning is effective in reducing injury risk in leisure-time runners. However, there are still some important knowledge gaps to fill before designing the most effective running shoe for injury prevention. First, while the market is rapidly evolving towards greater cushioning, notably through the advent of super-critical foam technology since 2018, there is currently no data on the effect of these new materials (with greater cushioning properties) on injury risk. Second, running shoe design has evolved over the last decades and there is increasing interest from runners in shoe models with large stack height (and consequently, greater cushioning) at the forepart of the shoe as well. While most literature has focused on cushioning (stiffness) at the rear part of the shoe to attenuate impact forces, force components unrelated to heel impact account for about half of the impact peak magnitude, which calls for more research on the possible effect of cushioning at the forepart of the shoe on injury risk.

The main purpose of this project is to investigate the effect of different cushioning solutions on injury risk in running. The project focuses on the influence of cushioning material at both the rear and the forepart of running shoes on musculoskeletal complaints in leisure-time runners. Therefore, the objectives of the present study are to investigate whether:
1) “Extra soft” cushioning materials can reduce injury risk compared to stiffer materials;
2) Cushioning under the forepart of the shoe also influences injury risk, independently of the cushioning at the rear part;
3) Effects of cushioning material and position depend on the runner’s body mass;
4) Perception of cushioning is related to both shoe cushioning and injury risk.

Additionally, the following exploratory objectives will be investigated:
1) Other weight-bearing locomotion activities (i.e., number of steps per day besides running practice) represents an independent risk factor for running-related injury.
2) The role of sex in injury mechanism, and its potential moderation effect;
3) How acute changes in training load affect injury risk;
4) If disparities in injury risk exist according to the socio-economical status of the runners;
5) The degradation of cushioning properties with regard to the participants' running activities.
Short titleRRI_Interv5
AcronymRRI_Interv5
StatusActive
Effective start/end date1/02/2430/04/26

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