Strengthening Running Program in Novice Runners

The Effect of a Specific Training Based on Strengthening on Running Related-injuries in a Novice Runner Population: a Pilot Prospective Randomized Trial

The objectives of the study are comparing the risk of injury and the running performance among novice runners with two different training programmes. The first programme has less running volume but more strengthening than the second one which is a normal running programme with no specific strengthening program.

This study will provide necessary information for a multicentric study to come. The information needed for this bigger study are the sample size, the attrition rate, the drop-out rate and the feasibility of the timeline.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Runner's Knee
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Strengthening; Other: Running

Detailed Description

The objectives of the study are comparing the risk of injury and the running performance among novice runners with two different training programmes. The first programme has less running volume but more strengthening than the second one which is a normal running programme with no specific strengthening program.

Hypothesis: A training programme with less running but strengthening exercises based on interval technique and strength could have similar or better results regarding running related injuries and performance compared to a normal training programme.

The experimentation will take place in Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium. Most of the common trainings will take place on the 400m outdoor track field of of the University. A sample of local university students will be drawned. The sex proportion of the participants should be representative of the population (non-runners population), thus 50/50. They will have to be non-runners in good and healthy condition. A non-runner is defined as someone who did not practice regular running at least twice a week for the last 6 months and could not perform a 10km at enrolment.

50 participants will take part in this experimentation. They will be randomized into 2 groups of 25. The investifator hypothesize that 40 participants will follow the study until the end.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Brussels, Belgium, 1200
    • Irec/Nmsk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years to 26 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. they were between 18 and 30 years
2. matched our definition of novice runners
3. had not sustained a musculoskeletal injury in the past six months
4. agreed to subscribe to an online application and to report each running training on this platform.

A novice runner was defined as someone who has not been running more than once a week for more than six months. The participants were systematically excluded if they did not match the interval of age, were not considered as novice runners, i.e., ran twice or more times a week for more than six months

Exclusion Criteria:

• They were also excluded if they had sustained an injury in the last 6 months or suffered from any musculoskeletal or neurological disorders

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: strengthening running program; The experimental group will undergo a specific running training based on leg strength training and interval running	Other: Strengthening; The strengthening exercises were executed with the body weight without any additional weight and were composed of exercises like the squats, the lunges, the plank, and the mountain climbers; Other: Running; running for two supervised training sessions of one hour, and one free session of 30 minutes per week during 24 weeks
Active Comparator: Running program; This running group will serve as control and will undergo a traditional running program composed of only running	Other: Running; running for two supervised training sessions of one hour, and one free session of 30 minutes per week during 24 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Aerobic performance	aerobic performance testing using VAM-EVAL procedure	at baseline
Aerobic performance	aerobic performance testing using VAM-EVAL procedure	at 21 weeks of training

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incidence of running related injuries	number of injuries due to running participation	from baseline to 21weeks, up to 21 weeks total
drop-out	abandon from the running program for any reason except running related injuries	from baseline to 21weeks, up to 21 weeks total

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Université Catholique de Louvain

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 17, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 12, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): December 19, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 19, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 12, 2022
• Last Verified: December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: prevention; performance; Running; Running related injuries; strengthening program
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2019-502

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No