Changes in Running Kinematics and Kinetics Following a 10 km Run.
Mark Reinking, Emily Hill, Kathryn Marr and 6 others
PMID 37795327WHAT IT FOUND
Experienced runners showed no significant change in form or ground forces after a 10 km run at their usual training pace.
Unlike studies where runners push to exhaustion, a standard training distance did not alter biomechanics in this group of 19 participants.
Key findings
01There were no significant differences in kinematic, spatiotemporal, or kinetic data when comparing runners before and after a 10 km run at self-selected pace.
02Mean differences for all kinematic variables were less than 1.5 degrees, and spatiotemporal differences were less than 0.5%.
03The lack of change in form and forces suggests that a 10 km training run at self-selected pace does not increase injury risk through biomechanical alteration in experienced runners.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study had a small sample size (19 runners) with an uneven split between ultra-runners and recreational runners, which reduced statistical power. Runners used a self-selected pace rather than a standardized percentage of race pace, meaning the actual effort level varied between participants. There was no objective measure of fatigue (such as RPE or blood lactate) recorded after the 10 km run, so it is unclear how tired the runners actually were. Data was collected only for the left lower extremity, potentially missing asymmetries or right-side specific changes. Reflective markers were placed after the run based on pre-run skin markings, which may have introduced some placement error compared to running with markers attached throughout.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not generalize these findings to all running scenarios. The runners in this study were experienced and ran at a self-selected, comfortable pace. This does not mean that running to exhaustion, or running at a race pace, will not alter biomechanics and increase injury risk, as other studies have shown changes in those conditions.