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Biomechanics/Neuromuscular

(33) RELATIONSHIPS OF BODY HEIGHT AND BODY WEIGHT WITH GROUND REACTION FORCES IN COLLEGIATE MALE RUNNERS: A PILOT STUDY

Thursday, July 13, 2023
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM East Coast USA Time
Location: Milano III-IV

    Poster Presenter(s)

  • Andrew D. Fields, MS, CSCS

    PhD Student/Graduate Assistant
    The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States

    • Author(s)

  • DT

    David Titcomb

    Professor
    Liberty University
    Lynchburg, Virginia, United States

  • Michael R. Esco

    Professor
    The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States

Abstract Details:

Previous research has found significant impacts of body weight (BW) on vertical ground reaction forces (GRF) during running. The impact of body height (BH) on GRF, however, has been lacking. A pilot study has looked at these impacts in female collegiate distance runners, however, the impacts of both BW and BH on GRF in a male collegiate distance-running population do not appear to have been studied.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of BW and BH on GRF during fast and slow running in collegiate male cross-country athletes.

Methods: Retrospective data from ten male runners were analyzed. BH and BW were measured prior to runners completing a running-history questionnaire. Subjects then ran two separate trials at an “easy” pace (3.67 m⋅s-1, 7:19 min⋅mi-1) and a “fast” pace (5.77 m⋅s-1, 4:39 min⋅mi-1) on an AMTI instrumented treadmill. Forces were reported at 100 Hz. Peak vertical GRF (GRFvert) for each step between 400-1400 frames were averaged. GRFvert was expressed in both absolute and relative terms compared to BW (N⋅kg-1), and the difference between relative GRFvert for fast and slow speeds was calculated and averaged. SPSS software was used to perform correlational analysis between variables.

Results: BW was significantly correlated with absolute GRFvert at both fast and slow speeds (r ≥ 0.691, p ≤ 0.018) but was only significantly correlated with relative GRFvert during fast running, (r = -0.670, p = 0.024). BH was not significantly correlated with absolute or relative GRF at any speed.

Conclusions: Correlational analysis revealed significant correlations between BW and GRF, but no significant correlations with BH. Additional research is recommended to verify these findings. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Due to the lack of correlation between increased body height and increased vertical ground reaction forces, male cross-country athletes may not need to be as cautious about injuries associated with increased ground reaction forces related to body height.

Acknowledgements: None