RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUNNING ECONOMY AND TENDON LENGTH

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The ability to run efficiently is important for performance in a number of sports. Previous research suggests that the ability to walk efficiently increases the ease of walking and thus, increases free-living participation and the likelihood of gain weight. It is therefore important to study factors that influence efficiency of locomotion. Longer gastrocnemius tendon lengths have recently been found to be related to walking efficiency. This would theoretically occur because a longer tendon will be stretched more during the early support phase of locomotion and as a result, develop more force during the propulsive phase. However, a number of other factors such as muscle fiber type, strength, and power as well as locomotion biomechanics, aerobic capacity (V02max) and body composition may impact walking and running efficiency. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the walking and running efficiency and gastrocnemius and patellar tendon lengths of African American and Caucasian male runners. In order to account for other potential confounders when evaluating the tendon-locomotion efficiency locomotion biomechanics, aerobic capacity, body composition, muscle fiber type, strength, and power will be evaluated. Because gender difference in running performance and running economy are known to be large between males and females, fifteen African-American and fifteen Caucasian male middle distance runners will be matched for best 10 kilometer time, age, and body composition will be recruited in order to insure a more homogenous distribution of these two variables. We hypothesize that gastrocnemius and patellar tendon lengths will be independently related to both walking and running efficiency even after adjusting for potential confounders. We also hypothesize that African Americans will be more efficient walkers and runners and will have longer gastrocnemius and patellar tendons than Caucasians. Finally, we hypothesize that after adjusting for tendon length the differences in tendon length mediate differences in locomotion efficiency. The results of this study will be important in understanding differences in running efficiency and in turn developing a better understanding of factors that may affect athletic performance, ease of being physically active, participation in free-living physical activity and finally propensity for weight gain.