Effects of Foot Strengthening on the Prevalence of Injuries in Long Distance Runners

NewsBot · Dec 4, 2014

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This clinical trial was just registered:
Effects of Foot Strengthening on the Prevalence of Injuries in Long Distance Runners

The hypothesis is that a strengthening program for foot and ankle muscles can alter the prevalence of lower limbs injuries on long distance runners, lowering the harmful forces that these segments receive. The participants will be randomly assigned into control group (without intervention) or into intervention group, that will receive an 8 weeks strengthening intervention, twice a week, for 30 minutes each session. This will aim for increasing foot and ankle range of movement and muscle strength.
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Primary Outcome Measures:
Lower limbs injuries occurrence [ Time Frame: 1 year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Diagnosed running related lower limb injuries

Secondary Outcome Measures:
Time to the first injury [ Time Frame: 1 week ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
How long it takes to a diagnosed running related lower limb injuries to occur

Foot muscle strength (subject pressing with their toes against a pressure sensor platform) [ Time Frame: 2 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Outcome measure of a subject pressing with their toes against a pressure sensor platform

Ankle strength (subject flexing the ankle on a dynamometer) [ Time Frame: 2 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Outcome measure of a subject flexing the ankle on a dynamometer

foot muscles hypertrophy (foot muscles crosssectional area measured by MRI) [ Time Frame: 2 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
foot muscles crosssectional area measured by MRI

Foot health and functionality (Score of the Foot Health Status questionnaire - BR) [ Time Frame: 2 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Score of the Foot Health Status questionnaire - BR

Foot and ankle Kinematics during gait (ankle range of motion and maximum ankle flexion angle during gait) [ Time Frame: 2 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
ankle range of motion and maximum ankle flexion angle during gait

Ankle and Knee joint moments during gait (inverse dynamics of the outcome measure of a force platform during subject's gait) [ Time Frame: 2 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
inverse dynamics of the outcome measure of a force platform during subject's gait
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Experimental: Foot and ankle strengthening
Group will be trained during 2 months by a physiotherapist for foot and ankle strengthening and must continue to exercise at home. Must keep practicing running as usual.
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Craig Payne · Dec 4, 2014

Will follow with a lot of interest

NewsBot said: ↑

that will receive an 8 weeks strengthening intervention, twice a week, for 30 minutes each session.
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They expecting a lot from 2x a week for 8 weeks!

NewsBot · Dec 5, 2014

A protocol for another similar study:

The effects of isolated ankle strengthening and functional balance training on strength, running mechanics, postural control and injury prevention in novice runners: design of a randomized controlled trial
Baltich J, Emery CA, Stefanyshyn D and Nigg BM
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2014, 15:407 (4 December 2014)

Background
Risk factors have been proposed for running injuries including (a) reduced muscular strength, (b) excessive joint movements and (c) excessive joint moments in the frontal and transverse planes. To date, many running injury prevention programs have focused on a "top down" approach to strengthen the hip musculature in the attempt to reduce movements and moments at the hip, knee, and/or ankle joints. However, running mechanics did not change when hip muscle strength increased. It could be speculated that emphasis should be placed on increasing the strength of the ankle joint for a "ground up" approach. Strengthening of the large and small muscles crossing the ankle joint is assumed to change the force distribution for these muscles and to increase the use of smaller muscles. This would be associated with a reduction of joint and insertion forces, which could have a beneficial effect on injury prevention. However, training of the ankle joint as an injury prevention strategy has not been studied. Ankle strengthening techniques include isolated strengthening or movement-related strengthening such as functional balance training. There is little knowledge about the efficacy of such training programs on strength alteration, gait or injury reduction.

Methods
Novice runners will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: an isolated ankle strengthening group (strength, n = 40), a functional balance training group (balance, n = 40) or an activity-matched control group (control, n = 40). Isokinetic strength will be measured using a Biodex System 3 dynamometer. Running kinematics and kinetics will be assessed using 3D motion analysis and a force platform. Postural control will be assessed by quantifying the magnitude and temporal structure of the center of pressure trace during single leg stance on a force platform. The change pre- and post-training in isokinetic strength and postural control variables will be compared following the interventions. Injuries rates will be compared between groups over 6 months.

Discussion
Avoiding injury will allow individuals to enjoy the benefits of participating in aerobic activities and reduce the healthcare costs associated with running injuries.
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