Effect of a Gait Retraining Intervention and a Minimalist Footwear Transition on Foot-ankle Strength, Running Economy and Injury in Endurance Runners.

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The main aim is to determine whether a gait retraining intervention will improve the strength of the foot-ankle muscle, the running economy and reduce the injury incidence in a one-year follow-up study. The secondary aim is to seek whether a minimal foot-ankle strength is necessary to reduce the risk to sustain to a running-related-injury to transit toward a forefoot strike pattern or toward a minimalist footwear for an endurance runner. Participants will be assessed at baseline, at 2 month follow-up, at 6 month follow-up and at 12 month follow-up. Assessment will be composed by questionnaires, a foot screening, maximal voluntary isometric strength of foot-ankle muscle with hand held dynamometer. Then, participants will run on a treadmill at self-paced and at 10 km/h with to measure their running economy and their footstrike pattern. In function of their distribution, participants will receive either nothing (control group) or minimalist footwear or a training to modify their footstrike pattern toward a more forefoot strike.

Official Title
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Comparison Between Gait Retraining Intervention With a Transitioning Toward Minimalist Footwear on the Foot-ankle Strength, Running Economy and Injury Incidence in Endurance Runners: a One-year Follow up Study.

Conditions
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Running, Wounds and Injuries, Oxygen Consumption

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Gait retraining intervention
* Device: Transition to minimalist footwear.


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Run 15 km per week since minimum 6 month Exclusion Criteria: No running related injuries in the last 3 month before the participation. Have never worn minimalist footwear (minimalist index superior to 70%) Have never modified their footstrike pattern

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 55 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Minimalist footwear<br>Transition toward a minimalist footwear. | Device: Transition to minimalist footwear.<br>* Participants will receive a running minimalist footwear.<br>|
| Experimental: Footstrike pattern<br>Transition toward a forefootstrike pattern. | Behavioral: Gait retraining intervention<br>* Participants will receive a training to modify their footstrike pattern toward a more forefoot strike and increase their cadence by 7.5%.<br>|
| No Intervention: Control<br>No intervention | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in foot-ankle strength | Measure of maximal voluntary isometric strength of ankle plantar flexors, hallux flexors, lesser toe flexors with hand held dynamometer. | Change from Baseline foot-ankle strength at 2 month follow-up, Change from Baseline foot-ankle strength at 6 month follow-up, Change from Baseline foot-ankle strength at 12 month follow-up | 
| Change in running economy | Measure of oxygen uptake was during steady state run on a treadmill at 10 km/h and at self-paced with was recorded using Ergocard device. Then, running economy was caluled with the formula: Energetic cost = 16.89 * Vo2 + 4.84*VCo2 | Change from Baseline running-economy at 2 month follow-up, Change from Baseline running economy at 6 month follow-up, Change from Baseline running economy at 12 month follow-up | 
| Running-related-injuries | Number of running related injuries per participant | At any time during the 12 month follow-up | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Gait retraining, Performance, Injuries