Lower Limb Mechanical Characteristics: Effect on Running Mechanics and Energetics

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Inter-individual variability in energetic cost of running may be partly explained by lower limbs mechanical characteristics. The transposition of muscle mechanical model with two components (contractile and elastic) to the whole lower limb mechanical behavior analysis during running. The main aim of present investigation is to study the effects of lower limb mechanical characteristic (force, velocity, stiffness) on the energetic cost of running using a lower limb mechanical approach including both contractile and elastic components.Twenty healthy men will run on a treadmill at 12km.h-1 in 8 different 5 min-conditions. Through conditions, stride frequency, sole stiffness and subject's body weight will be changed to allow artificial variations in lower limb mechanical characteristics. Energetic and non-invasive mechanical measurements analysis will be performed to obtain energetic cost of running and to compute force, velocity and stiffness of lower limbs for each condition.

Detailed Description
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Main aim: Identify the effect of mechanical characteristic induced on lower limbs on the energetic cost of running. Secondary aim : Minimize the energetic cost of running by lower limb mechanical characteristics optimization.

Official Title
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Lower Limb Mechanical Characteristics: Effect on Running Mechanics and Energetics

Conditions
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Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: energetic and non invasive limb mechanical measurements


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: healthy men being between 20 and 35 years old and doing regularly physical activities subjects must be able to run at 12 km/h during 15 minutes in aerobic condition not be sedentary and not do running competitions be affiliated to a social security system Sign a written inform consent Exclusion Criteria: presenting a clinic sign of intolerance to exercise, and particularly to running overweight subjects having a medical treatment which may interfere with the running quality or with one of the physiological parameters measured taking part at the same moment in another medicinal research

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 20 Years
Maximum Age: 35 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Male

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: Basic Science
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: 1<br>healthy volunteers | Other: energetic and non invasive limb mechanical measurements<br>* Force velocity stiffness running<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| the energetic cost of running: the energetic cost (Oxygen consumption by meter covered) is calculated by the ratio of oxygen consumption on the running velocity. |  | within 4 weeks after inclusion | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Healthy volunteers, running, energetic cost, limb mechanical characteristics, contractile components, elastic components, healthy men doing regularly physical activities