RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUNNING ECONOMY AND TENDON LENGTH

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目及 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 在许多运动项目中，有效奔跑的能力对成绩很重要。以前的研究表明，有效行走的能力增加了行走的轻松性，从而增加了自由生活的参与度和增加体重的可能性。因此，重要的是研究影响运动效率的因素。较长的腓肠肌肌腱长度最近被发现与行走效率有关。这在理论上会发生，因为较长的肌腱在运动的早期支撑阶段会被拉伸得更多，因此在推进阶段会产生更多的力量。然而，许多其他因素，如肌纤维类型、力量和功率以及运动生物力学、有氧能力（V02 max）和身体组成可能会影响步行和跑步效率。因此，本研究的目的是评估非洲裔美国人和白人男性跑步者的步行和跑步效率以及腓肠肌和髌腱长度。为了解释评价肌腱运动效率时的其他潜在混杂因素，将评价运动生物力学、有氧能力、身体组成、肌纤维类型、力量和功率。由于已知男性和女性在跑步成绩和跑步经济性方面的性别差异较大，因此将招募15名非洲裔美国人和15名高加索男性中距离跑步者以获得最佳10公里时间、年龄和身体成分，以确保这两个变量的更均匀分布。我们假设腓肠肌和髌腱长度与步行和跑步效率独立相关，即使调整了潜在的混杂因素。我们还假设，非洲裔美国人将是更有效的步行者和跑步者，将有更长的腓肠肌和髌腱比白人。最后，我们假设，调整肌腱长度后，肌腱长度的差异介导运动效率的差异。这项研究的结果将是重要的，在了解不同的运行效率，并反过来发展一个更好地了解的因素，可能会影响运动表现，容易被体力活动，参与自由生活的体力活动，并最终倾向于体重增加。

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.