Virtual Commons - Bridgewater State University

Poster: Movement Coordination Patterns of Barefoot, Minimal, and Shod Running

Moakley Atrium

Running is one of the fundamental human movements and a popular form of exercise. However, a high incident of musculoskeletal injury can occur if the lower body joints are not properly coordinated during running. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the movement coordination in barefoot, minimal, and shod running conditions. The results showed no statistical significant difference in the lower body joint movement coordination between barefoot, minimal, and shod running during both propulsion and swing phases of the gait. During the propulsion phase, the lower body joints demonstrated a simultaneous type of coordination ranging between 65.5 ± 5.3 % to 77.8 ± 9.1 %. During the swing phase, the lower body joints demonstrated a sequential type of coordination ranging between 34.0 ± 8.1 % to 54.1 ± 24.4 %. Future studies are warranted to examine individual runner’s gait profile for the barefoot, minimal, and shod running.