Researchers are looking for volunteers to participate in a study to assess changes in running mechanics in outdoor compared to treadmill running. You are eligible if you are age 18 or older, English speaking, you are healthy (have no current or recent injuries or surgeries within the past year), run a minimum of 15 miles/week, can run a minimum of 5 consecutive miles and run a minimum of 5 consecutive miles during your weekly runs, are familiar with treadmill running, have run outside on a weekly basis for the past two months, and have been running for a minimum of two years.
You will run 5 consecutive miles at a self-selected speed with no time limit to complete the 5 miles for both the outdoor trial and indoor treadmill trial. In order to assess your heart rate and some gait mechanics while running outside and on the treadmill, you will wear a GPS monitoring device that is a strap that will be positioned around your chest, and sensors around both ankles to assess impact measurements while running. Your gait mechanics will be captured every mile with a markerless visual motion capture system that will create a model of you to track your movements. This study will occur over two sessions. There will be 3-21 days between session 1 and session 2. If you complete both session 1 and session 2 run trials, you should expect a time commitment of approximately 5 total hours, a totality of 2.5 hours per session. If you are unable to complete the 5-mile run due illness, weather, if you need to stop and walk, or for other reasons, you will be allowed to repeat the trial at a later date within the 21-day time frame.
You will receive a t-shirt and a coupon for a free gait analysis in the next year through the UConn Institute for Sports Medicine Running Clinic (value $250), if you complete both trials or a portion of either trial. Free parking will be available on the Storrs campus for all participants.
This study was approved by the UConn IRB, Protocol # H22-0077.
For more information, contact: Michelle Bruneau at michelle.bruneau@uconn.edu