Biomechanics Research - Leeds Metropolitan University

Hello,

My name is Steve and I'm a mature student studying an MSc. in Sports Biomechanics at Leeds Met Uni. Having just received approval for my disseration:

Effects of hydration pack carriage and fatigue on kinetics and kinematics during a 21 kilometre treadmill run

The study is comparing two different designs of pack, both with different loading locations.

 

I am now looking to recruit 6-10 subjects to take part.

In brief we are looking for both female and male runners that are covering 25miles a week (whether its a fast or slow is not important). The time commitment would be approximately 3 x 2 hour sessions in the labaratory based on the Headingly Campus of Leeds Met Uni spread over a minimum of 3 weeks.

We would also require the subjects to run a small percentage of their weekly mileage wearing the packs prior to their first testing session.

In return for your time, you would be provided with access to the results, a full expert gait analysis and the experience of helping with this original research that has never been conducted before.

If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to contact me at

steve.w.franklin@gmail.com or through RunnersWorld

Thank you for taking the time to read my request and I look forward to hearing from the Runners World community soon.

 

Regards,

Steve

Comments

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    A 21km treadmill run?  image

    That's a very long time to be on a tready.  I can stand half an hour at the most.  At the very most.  Why can't it be done outside?

  • It is a long treadmill run you're right. I had weighed up both options and in order to collect accurate kinetic data (from force plates either instrumented with in the treadmill or sunk into the indoor running track) it is important for a natural strike to occur. Unfortunately, in attempting to hit a force plate instrumented with in a running track (a rectangle roughly 70cm long and 50cm wide) runners alter their stride and thus the forces recorded are highly inaccurate. The other option would be to run outside and enter the labs to jump on a treadmill for data collection. However, it takes approximately 6 minutes to accomodate to treadmill running, resulting in around 35 minutes being spent on the treadmill in under those circumstances. 

    I came to the conclusion that the easiest, most valid and reliable method of testing would be the one stated previously. 

    If you would like more information on my methods and background research I would be more than happy to e-mail it across.

    Hope that helps to answer your question.

     

    Thanks

  • Hi Steve. 21km on a treadmill - ouch.

    The free expert gait analysis sounds tempting tho...and do we get to keep the packs afterwards? image

     

  • And when you talk about natural foot strike, does that mean we can't wear orthotics?

  • That's a shame I'm not closer. Wanting to keep off the tarmac today I did 22km on a treadmill. Very easy to zone out, and the miles tick by. It would be a fairly straightforward session for anyone well into their spring marathon training who incorporates a medium long run midweek.

    Always good to get a gait analysis independent of a shop

  • Weedy- there is no trouble with you wearing orthotics as long as you use the same ones in the same shoes on each occasion.

    By natural foot strike I was referring to hitting the force plate without changing your stride length. If you were to imagine a hurdler miscueing their approach and having to take several small steps, these would not be "natural" and the forces and movements would therefore be different.

    If I am able to receive financial support for the study then I would happily let participants keep their hydration packs.

    Thanks Also-ran, as you said 21km isn't too far assuming you're in the right condition.

    To make the time pass subjects can listen to music and liquid and fuel would be provided on request.

    How far away are you Also-ran?



    Steve
  •  

    Just to say that in another experiment elsewhere I was on the treaddie for 90 mins + 5K, which in the end equated to about a half marathon. It was not a major problem in terms of boredom, but we did have to keep jumping off to give samples which made it slightly more intersting. There were 5 sessions to do of this. I would never consider running for that long on a treadmill normally! 

    Hope Steve has a good selection of bad jokes to tell...

     

     

  • Thankfully I am able to bump this thread again.

    After a bit of a worrying time trying to source the hydration packs the amazing people at Inov-8 running have come to my rescue and provided us with their Race Pro extreme 4 pack and the Race Pac 4.

    I'm still in search of a few more subjects so please email me if you or anyone you know might be interested.

    Thank you image

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