Presenter: Justine Silberberg
Mentors: JJ Hannigan and Li-Shan Chou, Human Physiology
Poster: 60
Major: Human Physiology
Previous research suggests that older males display less ankle plantar flexion and greater hip flexion during gait compared to younger individuals. Differences in running gait between younger and older individuals, however, are largely unknown. This study investigated differences in strength, flexibility, and range of motion between younger runners (n = 15; age range = 18-21) and older runners (n = 10; age range = 40-51). All subjects were males who ran at least 20 miles per week. For testing, subjects ran continuous laps of approximately 40-meters in the Motion Analysis Laboratory. Running kinematics were collected using a 10-camera motion capture system, strength was measured using a Biodex System 3 dynamometer, and flexibility was measured statically by a trained clinician. Independent sample t-tests were used to examine group differences. Older individuals were found to have increased hamstring flexibility, increased first metatarsal-phalangeal joint range of motion, decreased quadriceps flexibility, and decreased trunk flexion compared to younger runners (p < 0.01). Limitations include the relatively small sample size and cross-sectional nature of this study. Understanding age-related differences in running gait may help clinicians better treat injuries in older runners. Future studies exploring age-related differences in running should recruit a wider age range and follow these individuals over time.