Article

The purpose of this prospective study was to describe natural levels of
asymmetry in running, compare levels of asymmetry between injured and noninjured
novice runners and compare kinetic variables between the injured and noninjured
lower limb within the novice runners with an injury. METHODS: At baseline
vertical ground reaction forces and symmetry angles (SA) were assessed with an
instrumented treadmill equipped with three force measuring transducers. Female
participants ran at 8 and 9 km h(-1) and male runners ran at 9 and 10 km h(-1).
Participants were novice female and male recreational runners and were followed
during a 9-week running program. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten novice runners
enrolled this study, 133 (63.3%) female and 77 (36.7%) male runners. Thirty-four
runners reported an RRI. At baseline SA values varied widely for all
spatio-temporal and kinetic variables. The inter-individual differences in SA
were also high. No significant differences in SA were found between female and
male runners running at 9 km h(-1). In injured runners the SA of the impact peak
was significantly lower compared to noninjured runners. CONCLUSIONS: Natural
levels of asymmetry in running were high. The SA of impact peak in injured
runners was lower compared to noninjured runners and no differences were seen
between the injured and noninjured lower limbs.
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Langue : ANGLAIS