|
Back to Blog
Trials12/7/2017 Data Collection
During data collection, the participants ran on the treadmill with the accelerometer attached to the outside heel of their shoe. Above are videos from two of the trials with the heel strike on the left and the forefoot strike on the right. ResultsThe mean impact force of the heel strike was 3435.28 N and the mean impact force of the forefoot strike was 2829.15 N. This resulted in a difference of 606.12 N. To analyze the data, we conducted a two-sample t test. This statistical test compares the means of two populations. This test gave a p value of 0.032, so the null hypothesis that the impact forces would be equal was rejected. Overall, the hypothesis that the heel strike would have a greater impact force than the forefoot strike was accepted. This is true because of impulse. Impulse is the product of force and time, and it is equal to the change in momentum. Momentum is the product of mass and velocity, and the velocity changes as the heel slows down, resulting in a change in momentum. The accelerometer was attached to the outside of the shoe in order to measure the acceleration of the heel and see how quickly the heel slows down with each foot strike. With a heel strike, the heel slows down in much less time than it would with a forefoot strike. In a forefoot strike, the front of the foot strikes the ground first, leaving the heel above the ground for a small period of time. In this time, the heel slows down and lands with a lower acceleration than it would with a heel strike. The increased impact time would cause the force to decrease in order to result in the same impulse. This explains why the forefoot strike has a lower impact force than the heel strike. ImprovementsHabitual RunnersThis research focused on running, but not all of the participants were habitual runners. Most were athletes, but not all compete in a running based sport. If this research were redone, it would be beneficial for all of the participants to be runners. Natural Foot StrikesEach participant naturally runs with either a forefoot strike or a heel strike, so when they were asked to run with the unnatural strike, it was difficult at first. In order to resolve this issue, the participants could be divided into groups depending on their natural foot strike. This would allow each participant to run with their preferred foot strike so running does not feel unnatural. Shoe TypeEach participant wore their own running shoes, and each was a different style of shoe depending on the specific needs of the runner. Some had thicker soles, which would decrease the impact force because the shoes would absorb the shock of the impact. A thicker sole also increases the time of the impact, which lowers the force. In order to resolve this issue, each participant could wear the same style of shoe, such as minimalist or motion control. This ensures that there is no difference in the thickness of the sole, so the impact force could be measured more accurately. Further ResearchShoe TypesOne way to extend this research is to compare different types of running shoes. Several shoe types are made to be geared towards certain running methods. Motion control shoes, for example, are rigid to prevent excess foot rotation inward, decreasing foot strain. Conversely, for those whose foot does not roll enough, cushioned shoes are flexible and absorb the shock on the foot, reducing injuries. Investigating how the impact force changes for each type of shoe could determine which one is the most preferable and safe, if any. AdviceTime management is key. Make sure you get the work done on time, or even the day before it is due.
0 Comments
read more
Back to Blog
Pretrials10/19/2017 The main goal of our pretrials was to make sure our equipment worked and to determine the speed that the participants would run at. Originally, we attached the accelerometer to a Velcro strap that would go around the ankle, but after testing this on the treadmill, we decided to attach the accelerometer to the outside of the shoe. We used a clip that could be placed on the outside of the shoe, and this allows us to get a more accurate measure of the acceleration of the ankle.
Back to Blog
Our Topic10/2/2017 How did we choose our topic? The reason we chose our topic is because with more and more people becoming runners, without knowledge about running, they could become injured. Doing Track & Field, Jordan has also noticed people becoming injured while running, and with this research, we hope to prevent some of these injuries from occurring. How has research shaped our idea? Many sources have helped to improve upon our experimental design and helped us to build off of other's ideas. We have found many sources that compare forces in barefoot to shod running (running in shoes) with a force plate, but we have decided to use accelerometers to calculate the impact forces. Where did we find our information? Most of our information for this research was found on the Directory of Open Access Journals. This website provided endless sources to aid our research, such as articles, research journals, and experiments. What are our plans? For our research, we plan to contact Ryan Vinson, the Co-Owner of HealthQuest Physical Therapy. We hope to gain a better understanding of common running injuries and how they are resolved, which gives us a deeper understanding of the impact of our research.
|