Date of Award

Fall 2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Rehabilitation Sciences

Program/Concentration

Kinesiology and Rehabilitation

Committee Director

Hunter J. Bennett

Committee Member

Rumit Singh Kakar

Committee Member

Mira Mariano

Committee Member

Dawn Lowe

Abstract

Middle-age and older runners demonstrate differences in running biomechanics compared to younger runners. Females and males demonstrate differences in running biomechanics, and females experience additional hormonal changes with age due to menopause. Despite the biomechanical and physiological differences between females and males, little research has investigated the effect of age specifically in female runners. The overall purpose of this research was to determine the relationships among age, lower extremity muscle strength, and running biomechanics in healthy female recreational runners. Healthy female recreational runners aged 25 – 65 years were recruited. Participants ran on an instrumented treadmill at a training pace and 5K race pace. Isometric and isokinetic lower extremity muscle strength was tested using an isokinetic dynamometer. The first study investigated the relationships between age and running biomechanics at two different running speeds. There was a negative relationship between both training and 5K running speeds and age. There were no significant relationships between age and running kinematic or kinetic variables after controlling for self-selected running speeds. Multiple variables were moderately to very strongly correlated to running speed, including vertical and horizontal ground reaction force, peak hip abduction moment, and peak plantarflexion moment. The second study investigated the relationship between age and isometric and isokinetic strength of the hip abductors, hip extensors, knee extensors, and plantarflexors. There was a negative relationship between age and isometric hip abduction and knee extension strength, but no relationship between age and isometric hip extension and plantarflexion strength or isokinetic strength of the hip extensors, hip abductors, knee extensors, or plantarflexors. Multiple strength variables were weakly to moderately correlated with running speed, including isometric hip abduction, hip extension, knee extension, and plantarflexion. The third study investigated the relationship between age and knee joint stiffness. There was no relationship between age and knee joint stiffness after controlling for self-selected running speed. The research studies from this dissertation reveal that lower extremity muscle strength may play a role in maintaining running speed into middle- and older age. Also, it is clear that running speed is an important factor to consider when investigating the relationship between age and running biomechanics.

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DOI

10.25777/46wz-1n31

ISBN

9798381446463

ORCID

0000-0002-4685-2482

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