running, fatigue, minimalist shoes

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of fatigue on footstrike patterns in two groups of habitually non-rearfoot runners. Twenty-eight runners participating in this study were divided into two groups by their weekly mileage. Participants completed a VO2max test to determine the velocity for the fatiguing run. Kinematic, physiological and biochemical data from the beginning and the remaining 3 minutes of fatiguing treadmill run were obtained. The overall time for fatiguing run exceeded 40 minutes (t = 48,1 ± 3,6 min.). The foot angle at the instant of initial contact significantly changed in both groups following fatigue. However, there was significantly less change in the high-mileage group of runners than in the mid-mileage group. The findings of the study suggest that utilizing consistent footstrike patterns in fatigue could probably depend on the fitness level of particular runner.