Differences in lower extremity biomechanics, shank muscle activation and medial gastrocnemius-tendon unit behavior between novice and experienced non-rearfoot strike runners.

Bokai Suo, Zeyu Lu, Jichao Wang, Kaicheng Wu, Liqin Deng, Lu Li, Yunjian Zhong, Weijie Fu

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Article in Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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8 authors.

Bokai SuoKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Zeyu LuKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Jichao WangKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Kaicheng WuKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Liqin DengKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Lu LiKey Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Yunjian ZhongCollege of Physical Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.

Weijie FuSchool of Intelligent Sports Engineering, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the differences in lower extremity kinematics and kinetics, shank muscle activation, and medial gastrocnemius-tendon unit behavior between habitual rearfoot strike (RFS) runners and habitual non-rearfoot strike (NRFS) runners when adopting an NRFS pattern. Methods: Twelve male habitual RFS runners (novice NRFS runners, NN) and twelve male habitual NRFS runners (experienced NRFS runners, EN) were recruited. All participants were required to run at 9 km/h on the split-belt 3D instrumented treadmill using an NRFS pattern. 3D lower extremity kinematics and kinetics, surface electromyography (sEMG) signals of medial and lateral gastrocnemius (MG and LG), soleus (SOL), and tibialis anterior (TA), as well as dynamic ultrasound imaging of MG tendon unit behavior during running were collected synchronously. Intergroup comparisons were performed using independent samples t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests, with Significance levels ( Results: Compared to EN, NN exhibited significantly greater fascicle shortening lengths (NN: 1.54 ± 0.66 cm; EN: 0.94 ± 0.23 cm; Conclusion: While novice and experienced NRFS runners exhibited similar kinematic, kinetic and muscle activation characteristics, the increased fascicle and muscle-tendon unit shortening lengths of medial gastrocnemius in novice NRFS runners potentially reflect reduced muscle contraction efficiency.

Indexed as

electromyographyfoot strike patternkinematicskineticsultrasound

Identifiers

PMID41040415

DOI10.3389/fbioe.2025.1641666

PMCPMC12484226

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