16 Weeks of Progressive Barefoot Running Training Changes Impact Force and Muscle Activation in Habitual Shod Runners

June 23, 2016 updated by: Ana Paula da Silva Azevedo, University of Sao Paulo
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of 16 weeks of progressive barefoot running training on impact force and muscle activation in habitual shod runners. Habitual shod runners were tested barefoot (BF) and shod (SH), before and after 16 weeks of progressive barefoot running training. Tests consisted of running on instrumented treadmill at 9 km/h, for 10 minutes in each experimental condition. Nine data acquisitions (10 s) of vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) and electromyographic (EMG) signal were conducted in each experimental condition, for each test.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Short-term effects of barefoot and simulated barefoot running have been widely discussed in recent years. Consequences of adopting barefoot running for a long period, e.g. as training strategy, still remain unknown. The present study evaluated the influence of 16 weeks of progressive barefoot running training on impact force and muscle activation in habitual shod runners. Habitual shod runners were tested barefoot (BF) and shod (SH), before and after 16 weeks of progressive barefoot running training. During the 16 weeks of training, participants kept their normal running training routine (wearing shoes), while they were introduced progressively to BF condition. Three training sessions were performed per week. Barefoot training started with 5% and ended with 20% of their weekly training volume (WTV) being performed without shoes. Soft surfaces (i.e. sand and grass) were adopted in the beginning of training (week 1 to 8). From week 9 to 16, participants mixed soft with harder surfaces, as treadmill and asphalt, to accomplish the training. Training sessions were prepared by professionals, researches and participants together. All training sessions were supervised by the researchers. Tests consisted of running on instrumented treadmill at 9 km/h, for 10 minutes in each experimental condition. Each session test started with participants performing a maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) test for each muscle of interest. The MVIC protocol consisted of 4 movement trials for each muscle: 2 submaximal trials of 10 seconds; 1 maximal trial of 5 seconds; and 1 maximal trial of 10 seconds. Then, a 5-minute period of warm-up at self-selected speed was performed on a treadmill. After that, participants ran (at 9km/h) during 10 minutes on an instrumented treadmill in both barefoot and shod conditions. Participants had a 2-minute interval between each trial while experimental condition was changed. The VGRF of both legs and EMG signal of tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), long head of biceps femoris (BCF), rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) of the right leg of each volunteer were obtained. These muscles were chosen due to their importance and contribution to running. For shod trial, runners wore their own habitual running shoes. All shoes were in good conditions of use and had similar characteristics of construction.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

6

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • SP
      • São Paulo, SP, Brazil, 05508-030
        • Ana Paula da Silva Azevedo

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Habitual shod runners (recreational runners without experience in barefoot and/or minimatist running)

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • to have a minimum of 6 months of regular running training;
  • to have a minimum of 6 months of experience in running on treadmills;
  • do not have suffered any orthopedic injury in the last 12 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • to have experience in minimalist/barefoot running;
  • to be habitual forefoot striker;
  • to complete less than 80% of training;
  • to suffer any injury during training.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Barefoot training
16 weeks of progressive barefoot running training
Other: Barefoot training
During 16 weeks, habitual shod runners kept their normal running training routine (wearing shoes), while they were introduced progressively to BF condition. Three training sessions were performed per week. Barefoot training started with 5% and ended with 20% of their WTV being performed without shoes. Soft surfaces (i.e. sand and grass) were adopted in the beginning of training (week 1 to 8). From week 9 to 16, participants mixed soft with harder surfaces, as treadmill and asphalt, to accomplish the training.
Other: Shod training
Running training planned individually to each runner, according to their physical fitness, and performed with shoes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Parameters of the vertical component of Ground Reaction Force (VGRF) related to impact force
Time Frame: 4 months
Biomechanical parameters related to impact forces, as magnitude of VGRF's first peak, time to reach first peak of VGRF and implulse from the first 50 ms, will be measured.
4 months
Electromyographic (EMG) parameters related to muscle activation intensity
Time Frame: 4 months
EMG signal will be measeured and the RMS, a parameter that reflects muscle activation intensity, will be evaluated.
4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Sao Paulo

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

September 1, 2012

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 22, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2016

First Posted (Estimate)

June 28, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 28, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2016

Last Verified

June 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • EEFEUSP_LBiomec-1

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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