Exercise Intervention and Running Biomechanics in Older Adults

Changes in Running Gait Biomechanics Following an Intervention Program in Older Runners

The goal of this study is to understand the effects of muscle strengthening and stretching exercise intervention on isometric muscle strength, joint flexibility and running biomechanical patterns in older recreational runners. To do so, the subjects will be assessed before and after they engage in a 8-week exercise intervention program.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Activity; Aging
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Muscle strengthening exercises; Other: Muscle stretching exercise

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 105
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Alberta
    • Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
      • Running Injury Clinic

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years to 75 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• no injuries of the lower extremity within 3 months prior to participation
• running recreationally 2-3 times/week
• familiar and comfortable with treadmill running
• in good health upon entry into the study
• no use of orthotics in the shoe

Exclusion Criteria:

• lower extremity injury within the last 3 months
• surgery to the lower extremity within the last 8 months
• head injury/vestibular disorder within the last 6 months
• inability to speak or read English.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: PREVENTION
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: DOUBLE

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Strengthening Exercises; Recreational older runners recruited from local community	Other: Muscle strengthening exercises; The group will perform 8-week home based muscle strengthening exercises with 8 weekly supervised sessions which will be conducted by a rehabilitation specialist.
Experimental: Stretching Exercises; Recreational older runners recruited from local community	Other: Muscle stretching exercise; The group will perform 8 week home based exercise intervention with 8 weekly supervised sessions which will be conducted by a rehabilitation specialist
No Intervention: Control Group; Recreational older runners recruited from local community

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes from baseline of biomechanical movement patterns	Biomechanical measurements (kinematics and kinetics) will be taken at baseline and at 8 weeks of intervention.	8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in isometric muscle strength and joint flexibility	Measurements of isometric muscle strength and joint flexibility will be taken at baseline and at 8 weeks of intervention program.	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Calgary
• Collaborators: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.; Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research; Running Injury Clinic
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Reed Ferber, PhD, Running Injury Clinic, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: April 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 6, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 9, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): April 10, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 3, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 1, 2014
• Last Verified: December 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: RIC-CAPES-001