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A new method for recording the temporal pattern of stride during treadmill running

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of a new infrared light based method (IR40) for recording temporal stride patterns during treadmill running. The IR40 device, emitting a tight web of 40 infrared light beams 10 mm above the treadmill running surface, was compared to a previously validated electro-pneumatic contact shoe (CS) method while nine well-trained athletes ran at 2.8, 3.3, 3.9, 4.4, 5.0, and 5.6 m s−1. Disconnection and reconnection of the IR beams marked the stance phase. The sampling rate was 500 Hz for both methods. The stance phase duration was on average 11.5 (±8.4) ms longer with the IR40 than with the CS depending on earlier touch down (8.3 ± 6.2 ms) and delayed toe off (3.2 ± 5.3 ms) registrations. Significantly different stance phases were recorded between all velocities and for both methods. Thus, despite the fact that the IR40 systematically measured a somewhat longer stance phase duration than CS, the IR40 is nonetheless useful for temporal stride analysis during treadmill running.

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Acknowledgment

The study was supported by grants from the Swedish Centre for Sports Research (CIF), the Swedish Sports Confederation and the Swedish School of Sport and Health Science. The authors wish to thank the athletes who participated so kindly.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Elite Sports Centre, Swedish Sports Confederation, 181 47, Bosön, Lidingö, Sweden

    Lennart Gullstrand

  2. Section of Exercise Physiology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lennart Gullstrand

  3. The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden

    Johnny Nilsson

  4. Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway

    Johnny Nilsson

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  1. Lennart Gullstrand
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  2. Johnny Nilsson
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Correspondence to Lennart Gullstrand.

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Gullstrand, L., Nilsson, J. A new method for recording the temporal pattern of stride during treadmill running. Sports Eng 11, 195–200 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-009-0021-8

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