Effect of a Gait Retraining Intervention and a Minimalist Footwear Transition on Foot-ankle Strength, Running Economy and Injury in Endurance Runners.

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Oxygen Consumption; Running; Wounds and Injuries
• Interventions: Device: Transition to minimalist footwear.; Behavioral: Gait retraining intervention

• Registration Number: NCT05499871
• Lead Sponsor: University of Liege

Brief Summary

The main aim is to determine whether a gait retraining intervention will improve the strength of the foot-ankle muscle, the running economy and reduce the injury incidence in a one-year follow-up study. The secondary aim is to seek whether a minimal foot-ankle strength is necessary to reduce the risk to sustain to a running-related-injury to transit toward a forefoot strike pattern or toward a minimalist footwear for an endurance runner.

Participants will be assessed at baseline, at 2 month follow-up, at 6 month follow-up and at 12 month follow-up. Assessment will be composed by questionnaires, a foot screening, maximal voluntary isometric strength of foot-ankle muscle with hand held dynamometer. Then, participants will run on a treadmill at self-paced and at 10 km/h with to measure their running economy and their footstrike pattern. In function of their distribution, participants will receive either nothing (control group) or minimalist footwear or a training to modify their footstrike pattern toward a more forefoot strike.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-08-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-08-11
• Study First Posted: 2022-08-12
• Study Start: 2022-09-01
• Primary Completion: 2022-09-12
• Study Completion: 2024-09-30
• Status Verified: 2025-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-05-13
• Last Update Posted: 2025-05-16

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 140

Inclusion Criteria

• Run 15 km per week since minimum 6 month

Exclusion Criteria

• No running related injuries in the last 3 month before the participation.
• Have never worn minimalist footwear (minimalist index superior to 70%)
• Have never modified their footstrike pattern

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Minimalist footwear	Transition to minimalist footwear.	Transition toward a minimalist footwear.
Footstrike pattern	Gait retraining intervention	Transition toward a forefootstrike pattern.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in foot-ankle strength	Change from Baseline foot-ankle strength at 2 month follow-up, Change from Baseline foot-ankle strength at 6 month follow-up, Change from Baseline foot-ankle strength at 12 month follow-up	Measure of maximal voluntary isometric strength of ankle plantar flexors, hallux flexors, lesser toe flexors with hand held dynamometer.
Change in running economy	Change from Baseline running-economy at 2 month follow-up, Change from Baseline running economy at 6 month follow-up, Change from Baseline running economy at 12 month follow-up	Measure of oxygen uptake was during steady state run on a treadmill at 10 km/h and at self-paced with was recorded using Ergocard device. Then, running economy was caluled with the formula: Energetic cost = 16.89 \* Vo2 + 4.84\*VCo2
Running-related-injuries	At any time during the 12 month follow-up	Number of running related injuries per participant

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Guillaume Abran; 🇧🇪 Liège, Belgium