Effects of External and Internal Attention Focus Training on Foot-Strike Patterns in Running

Abstract

The provision of instructions is an important task constraint when altering movement behaviours. Using instructions as a form of task constraint could be an effective approach to help learners improve their performances. Specifically, changing running gait from a heel to forefoot strike pattern can reduce incidences of injuries. By providing different attentional instructions, external and internal focus instructions, which emphasise movement effect and movement form respectively, can be used to alter foot strike patterns in running gait. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of external or internal focus instructions in facilitating a change from a heel strike to a forefoot strike pattern. Sixteen participants (9 males, 7 females), were randomly assigned to either an external focus condition (n=8) or an internal focus condition (n=8). Participants underwent six training sessions with their respective instructional conditions over three weeks with 10 one-minute running trials per session during the intervention phase. A 3D motion analysis system was used to determine kinematic changes between pre and post-test sessions. Both external (0.025m ± 0.006) and internal (0.027m ± 0.008) participants showed a significant change in calcaneus displacement at initial contact (IC) by post-test, which indicates the change from heel strike to forefoot strike pattern. However, cycle time and stride length were not significantly different at post-test for participants in internal and external conditions. The effectiveness of both focus instructions could be task and individual dependent.

Running retraining to treat lower limb injuries: a mixed-methods study of current evidence synthesised with expert opinion

“…The primary reason for exclusion on obtainment of full text was inadequate participant numbers (ie, less than 10 participants per group), and included six studies on step rate manipulation,34–38 five studies on strike pattern comparison36 39–42 including one in a PFP population,41 one study on step width manipulation,43 one study on cues to reduce hip adduction,44 two studies on reducing impact loading variables45 46 and three combination studies 40 47–49. Additional reasons for exclusion included one combination study for absence of clinical or biomechanical analysis,50 one combination study for including transition to minimalist footwear during gait retraining,51 two step rate manipulation studies52 53 for absence of statistical comparison of biomechanical differences and one step rate manipulation study54 which combined hill running.…”

An interdisciplinary examination of attentional focus strategies used during running gait retraining

“…Several studies that have examined gait retraining have attempted to use verbal instructions that manipulate participants’ attentional focus. In line with Wulf's model, Chow, Woo, and Koh predicted that an external focus of attention would facilitate a more effective transition from a rearfoot strike to forefoot strike pattern. Chow et al found that both types of instruction were beneficial in modifying foot strike patterns.…”

“…Chow et al found that both types of instruction were beneficial in modifying foot strike patterns. However, Chow et al’s external focus cue was problematic in that they asked participants in this condition to “Strike your foot” in line with a virtual line that was projected onto the treadmill. The use of the word “foot” may well have engendered at least a partial internal focus, confounding their results.…”

“…In line with Wulf's model, Chow, Woo, and Koh 18 predicted that an external focus of attention would facilitate a more effective transition from a rearfoot strike to forefoot strike pattern. Chow et al 18 found that both types of instruction were beneficial in modifying foot strike patterns. However, Chow et al's 18 external focus cue was problematic in that they asked participants in this condition to "Strike your foot" in line with a virtual line that was projected onto the treadmill.…”

Efecto de las estrategias cognitivas de asociación y disociación sobre la percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo, el consumo de oxígeno y la activación nerviosa central : un estudio experimental en corredores de fondo

“…As a general cognitive capacity, attention has been widely studied regarding to motor learning and motor control, researchers have concluded that attentional focus plays a key role on motor performance (Chow, Woo, & Kon, 2014;Wulf, 2013). Studies have tried to answer one of the big issues related to the endurance sport field, where to focus attention to perform at one's best?…”