The influence of shod conditions and foot-strike patterns on foot force characteristics during jogging / 医用生物力学

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the influence of barefoot running and shod running with different foot-strike patterns on characteristics of plantar pressures. Methods Kistler force plates and Medilogic insole plantar pressure system were used to collect and compare the kinetic data from a total of 12 healthy male volunteers under shod and barefoot conditions with heel-toe run and toe-toe run at the speed of 3 m/s, including the GRF, loading rate, plantar pressure and impulse. Results (1) Shod running with heel-toe strike significantly reduced the maximum loading rate and extended the time to reach the peak of impact force. Under forefoot strike pattern, shod running significantly increased the maximum push-off force than barefoot running. (2) More plantar pressure parameters were influenced by the foot-strike patterns as compared to those under the shod conditions, and there was a significant difference in the peak pressure and the time to reach the peak pressure in the mid-foot and heel region between the two foot-strike patterns. Conclusions The foot-strike pattern shows a more obvious influence on plantar pressure during jogging than the shod conditions. Shod running with heel strike can reduce the impact force, while barefoot running with forefoot strike can cause an excessive concentration of plantar pressure on the forefoot region, which indicates that a suitable pair of sports shoes is needed for both foot-strike patterns to reduce plantar pressure during jogging.