What is the "Average" Running Gait? 🏃♂️🏃♀️
Runners come in all shapes and sizes, and it's no surprise that each of us has a unique running style. This is what we call our 'gait fingerprint.'"
When examining cadence, stride length, ground contact time, and vertical oscillation, what is considered normal? 🤔
A recent study by Malisoux provides some insights. The study analyzed various parameters in a group of 860 healthy recreational runners who ran at their self-selected speeds. Here are the key findings:
Cadence (Step Rate) ⏱️
🔎 Average: Both males and females averaged 164 steps per minute.
⚠️ Factors: Cadence increased with faster speeds and taller individuals, consistent with previous research.
Step Length (Distance Between Steps) 📏
🔎 Average: Males averaged a step length of 1.07 meters, while females averaged 0.91 meters.
⚠️ Factors: Step length increased with faster running speeds and greater height.
Vertical Oscillation (Up & Down Movement) ⬆️⬇️
🔎 Average: Males had an average vertical oscillation of 80mm, compared to 73mm in females.
⚠️ Factors: Heavier and older individuals showed less vertical oscillation, while taller individuals exhibited greater vertical oscillation.
Ground Contact Time ⏳
🔎 Average: Males averaged 283ms on the ground, while females averaged 299ms.
⚠️ Factors: Faster speeds resulted in shorter ground contact times, while heavier and taller individuals had longer ground contact times.
Duty Factor (Percentage of Time on the Ground During Gait Cycle) ⚖️
🔎 Average: Women averaged a duty factor of 41%, while men averaged 39%.
⚠️ Factors: Faster running speeds resulted in a lower duty factor, while heavier and older runners had higher duty factors.
Although these findings do not directly correlate with injury or performance, they illustrate the bell-shaped curves of "normal" that exist in running gait. 📈
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📚Reference
Malisoux, L., et al. (2023). "Reference Values and Determinants of Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Variables in Recreational Runners." Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine 11(10)