Effects of Windlass Enhancing Feature on Kinematics and Kinetics During Propulsive Stance Phase of Running

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the range of motion changes and force production for running footwear with and without windlass enhancing feature, and barefoot, on the lower extremities during late stance phase of running. Fourteen healthy recreational rearfoot male runners (age 20.14+0.66 years, height 171.79+4.66 cm, and body weight 64.56+5.79 kg.) were recruited. Three-dimensional movement analysis and force production were collected by a motion analysis system and AMTI force platform, and the data were calculated and analysed by Visual 3D. The participants, barefoot and two types of footwear, namely running footwear with and without windlass enhancing feature, started to run along the runway with speed at 3.5 m/s (range between 3.33-3.68 m/s) for three trials in each condition. The repeated measures analysis of variance was used for analysis. A Bonferroni post hoc test was conducted between conditions (p < .01). The results revealed that the ankle movement barefoot and with the running footwear without windlass enhancing feature were significantly different from the running footwear with the windlass enhancing feature at the beginning, but that of barefoot was significantly different from the running footwear with and without windlass enhancing feature at the end of the late stance phase. The forefoot’s range of motion barefoot and with the running footwear without windlass enhancing feature was significantly different from the running footwear with the windlass enhancing feature, but the vertical ground reaction forces of the running footwear with and without windlass enhancing feature were not significantly different. Significant difference was found between barefoot and running footwear with the windlass enhancing feature in force production. In conclusion, the running footwear without windlass enhancing feature offers more flexible forefoot movements, close to barefoot, but the propulsion is still the same as the running footwear with the windlass enhancing feature.