Evaluation of Harmonicity in Running Gait by the Use of Innovative Techniques of Video Analysis

Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation

Status: Completed

Conditions: Injuries

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: Maximal incremental running test; Diagnostic Test: Metabolic and movement analysis of running; Other: Questionnaires

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04103437

harmrun fdg

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to demonstrate the use of a digital video analysis method to evaluate harmonicity of running gait, through an holistic approach.

Furthermore, it explores the association of running gait harmonicity with running velocity and level of training and with running injuries risk .

Full description

Aetiology of running related injuries is reported to be multifactorial but still not fully understood. Factors that impede the understanding of the mechanisms and aetiology of injury are the traditional segmental approach to the analysis of running gait and the lack of prospective studies.

A more holistic approach to analysis of movement could permit a more in depth comprehension of the injured state, trough a changing of point of view. This holistic approach is based on the harmonic nature of running gait.

Despite the everyday use of the term "harmonicity" within sporting domains, methods to measure running gait harmonicity is a theme still vaguely explored.

Traditional methods evaluate the movement quality of the whole body based on the motion analysis of specific segments, that are supposed to sufficiently represent the entire body. The search for a method to analyse harmonicity of cyclic movements with a real holistic approach, is therefore still open.

With these aims, an innovative video analysis method has been proposed, based on the measure of the frequency variation of the pixel brightness in the digital video of a cyclic movement.

Enrollment: 112 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• at least one year of running practice
• minimum two day of running/week
• minimum 20 km running/week
• seasonal best on half marathon comprised between 1h20' and 2h00'
• experienced in treadmill running practice
• sport medical certificate

Exclusion criteria

• have suffered in the last three months of musculoskeletal disease
• regular practice of sport activities different from running
• acute or chronic osteoarticular diseases or, in general, other pathology limiting physical activities
• use of drugs altering physical activity performance (hypnotic, psychoactive, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs e.g.).

Trial design

112 participants in 1 patient group

recreational runners

Description:

Recreational runners (minimum of 2 running session and 20km of total mileage per week), with seasonal best on half-marathon comprised between 1h20' and 2h00'. Age \> 18 and \< 60 years. Free from musculoskeletal injuries from at least three months.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Maximal incremental running test

Other: Questionnaires

Diagnostic Test: Metabolic and movement analysis of running