Effect of foot strike pattern on propulsion in running

Abstract

[Purpose] This study investigated differences in forefoot and hindfoot strike patterns on propulsion in running. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 18 healthy adults. Forefoot strike running (FR) and hindfoot strike running (HR) were measured using a 3D motion analysis system. [Results] In HR, forward transfer of the center of gravity in the stance phase was large, whereas it was large in the swing phase of FR. In HR, the vertical component of the ground reaction force (GRF) was large in the first half of the stance phase, and in FR, the vertical and anterior components of GFR were large in the latter half. In HR, a large torque was generated in the posterior direction in the first half of the stance phase. [Conclusion] It was found that in HR, forward propulsion was generated through reduction of the impact of heel strike, whereas in FR, it was generated by striking the ground hard.