Relationship between Lower Limb Kinematics and Upper Trunk Acceleration in Recreational Runners

Abstract

Upper trunk (UT) kinematics in runners and its relationship with lower limbs has been poorly investigated, although it is acknowledged that dynamic stability of the upper body is a primary objective of human locomotion. This study aimed to explore UT kinematics according to gender and level of training and in relation to lower limb run patterns described through the presence of: overstriding, crossover, excessive protonation, and pelvic drop. Lower body variables chosen to describe running pattern were those that are frequently modified during gait-retraining with the goal of reducing injury risk. Eighty-seven recreational runners (28 females and 59 males, age 41 ± 10 years) performed a one minute run test on a treadmill at self-selected speed. UT kinematics was measured using an inertial measurement unit, while run features were assessed through an optoelectronic system and video analysis. Accelerations and root-mean-square on mediolateral and anteroposterior axes, normalized using the vertical component of the acceleration, were estimated to describe UT stability. Results showed no significant differences in the normalized UT acceleration root-mean-square according to gender and level of training as well as according to the presence of overstriding, crossover, and excessive protonation. The only running strategy studied in this work that showed a significant relationship with UT stability was the presence of excessive pelvic drop. The latter was significantly associated (p=0.020) to a decrease in the normalized acceleration root-mean-square along the mediolateral direction. Although the excessive pelvic drop seemed to have a positive effect in stabilizing the upper body, concerns remain on the effect of a poor control of the pelvis on the biomechanics of lower limbs. Results obtained confirm the hypothesis that the lower body is able to respond to varying impact load conditions to maintain UT stability.

Locomotor Coordination, Visual Perception and Head Stability during Running

“…In line with these observations, the best overall stability of head and pelvis accelerations was achieved when preferred step length and cadence and, therefore, walking speed were employed [38]. Similarly, in running, an association between lower extremity and pelvis kinematics and the upper trunk and head stability has also been demonstrated [52,53].…”

Effect of Playing Position, Match Half, and Match Day on the Trunk Inclination, G-Forces, and Locomotor Efficiency Experienced by Elite Soccer Players in Match Play

“…Since inertial sensors allow the quantification of the trunk accelerations in the three axes of movement, recent investigations have suggested the use of G-forces as an external workload indicator [18]. The trunk plays an important role as "shock absorber", but the magnitude (i.e., G-forces) and amount of shocks on the musculoskeletal system may increase the risk of injury [20,21].…”

Isokinetic Muscle Strength and Postural Sway of Recreationally Active Older Adults vs. Master Road Runners

“…However, it has been shown that the same does not happen in muscles without this specific action during running, for example, biceps brachii ( Power et al, 2012 ). Additionally, it is acceptable to assume that the spine plays a decisive role in absorbing shock derived from the ground force reaction ( Simoni et al, 2020 ). The requirements for trunk muscle actions are specific to each type of physical effort and can induce different muscle adaptations ( Ben Moussa Zouita et al, 2020 ) and it seems to have some relation to the age of the sample.…”