Impact of Pilates on Running Mechanics
Condition: Strength; Exercise; Knee Injuries
MeSH terms: Knee Injuries
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      INTRODUCTION: Core strengthening, balance, and flexibility programs such as Pilates have been
      advocated to affect running mechanics and prevent lower extremity injuries positively. The
      purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a 12-week mat-based Pilates exercise
      program on dynamic knee valgus alignment in runners.

      METHODS: Thirty-four young male and female adults performed a running protocol at baseline.
      The protocol consisted of the participants running on a treadmill at a constant five miles
      per hour (mph) for four minutes. Post-examination, participants were randomly assigned to a
      Pilates or control group (n=16 and n=18, respectively). A certified Pilates instructor gave
      the Pilates group a 12-week home-based program. To ensure participants in the Pilates group
      performed exercises correctly, the Pilates instructor conducted the first session, and
      provided feedback to each participant. Participants in both groups performed the same running
      testing protocol every four weeks. Knee valgus was measured as the medial displacement of the
      knee joint center during the running stance phase. Repeated measures Analysis of Variance
      (RepANOVA) was calculated at baseline and 4-, 8-, and 12-weeks post examinations to compare
      knee valgus during running.
    

Detailed description: 
      Study Design and Participants A 12-week randomized controlled trial using a mat-based Pilates
      core-strengthening exercise program was conducted involving thirty-four young, healthy
      adults. Twenty men (mean ± SD; height: 171.77 ± 9.42 cm; weight: 72.59 ± 8.99 kg; BMI: 24.99
      ± 2.10 kg/m2) and fourteen women (mean ± SD; height: 158.46 ± 2.96 cm; weight: 53.70 ± 2.45
      kg; BMI: 21.81 ± 1.37 kg/m2) completed this study. All participants were over 18 and signed a
      written informed consent document approved by the Institutional Review Board. Inclusion
      criteria included no history of injury in the preceding six months, no history of lower
      extremity surgeries, and a generally healthy state. Before involvement in the main trials,
      each participant's height, body mass, leg length, pelvis, knee, and ankle width were measured
      according to the motion analysis software computerized model (Vicon Plugin Gait Model, Vicon
      Motion Inc., Denver, CO).

      Procedures Participants reported to the laboratory having refrained from strenuous exercise
      during the preceding 48 hours. A running protocol was conducted four times during this study:
      at baseline, and at the fourth, eighth, and twelfth weeks. Participants underwent a
      standardized warm-up session running at four miles per hour (mph) on a treadmill for five
      minutes before progressively increasing the intensity to five mph without any inclination for
      another four minutes. To measure dynamic knee valgus during each session, a 3-dimensional
      high-speed (240 Hz) system (Vicon Motion Inc., Denver, CO) was used during the running
      protocol, emphasizing the running cycle's stance phase to measure medial knee displacement.
      For each participant, 3D kinematics were recorded for the dominant leg throughout the stance
      phase during the running protocol execution. The dominant leg was defined as the preferred
      leg to perform a single leg jump. Medial knee displacement was defined as the medial
      trajectory difference traveled by the knee joint center from initial contact to push-off,
      identified by two footswitches (500Hz; Delsys, Inc, Boston, MA) placed on the plantar aspect
      of the calcaneus and hallux. Three-dimensional data and pressure from the footswitches were
      real-timed synchronized in the motion analysis software (Vicon Nexus software, Vicon Motion
      Inc., Denver, CO).

      Once baseline measurements were recorded, the participants were randomly assigned to either a
      home-based Pilates intervention or a control group. The Pilates intervention consisted of a
      warm-up, seven strengthening exercises, and a cool-down. The frequency of the program was
      three times a week, performing each exercise once for 15 repetitions. Participants in the
      Pilates group performed their first session with a certified Pilates instructor to ensure
      appropriate technique was performed. The control group was encouraged to continue their daily
      routine and not engage in additional physical activity or exercise. At the fourth and eighth
      weeks, the Pilates program's difficulty level increased by progressing to more challenging
      exercises.

      Data Analysis T-tests were performed at baseline for anthropometrics and valgus variables to
      ensure both groups were homogenous. A 2 x 4 (group x time) repeated measures ANOVA (RepANOVA)
      was used to evaluate dynamic knee valgus changes. Group by time interaction and within and
      between main effects were separately assessed regardless of the interaction being significant
      based on recommendations by Wei et al. 2012 (Wei et al., 2012). Given the pilot nature of
      this investigation, an alpha level of p ≥ 0.05 was considered statistically significant for
      all analyses. SPSS version 26 (IBM SPSS, Armonk, New York) was used for statistical analyses.
    

Intervention name(s): Exercise
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Home-based mat-based Pilates intervention 3 times a week for 12 weeks prepared by a certified Pilates instructor.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Two groups randomized; no-exercise control vs. Pilates exercise group.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Screening
Keywords: Pilates; Running; Knee