Impact of a Long Run on Injury-Related Biomechanics with Relation to Weekly Mileage in Trained Male Runners

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to compare selected biomechanical variables before and after a long run, and to assess the relationship between weekly running volume and changes in lower limb biomechanics after the run. Twelve trained habitual rearfoot strike male runners ran overground before and after a treadmill long run while kinematic and kinetic data were recorded. Repeated measures analysis of variance and Cohen’s d effect sizes were used to compare kinematic and kinetic variables before and after the run. Loading rate was 6% higher after the run (p < .05) but this difference had a small effect size (d = .32). Moderate effects were found for a 25% increase in peak ankle eversion (d = 0.62) and a 10% increase in hip adduction (d = 0.60) after the run. These findings suggest that the completion of a submaximal long run does not yield potentially injurious lower limb biomechanics in uninjured rearfoot strike runners. Weekly running mileage was not correlated to biomechanical changes observed before and after the long run. Since biomechanical responses to the long run varied among runners, differences in other factors such as specific training regimens and neuromuscular control should be considered in future studies.