RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUNNING ECONOMY AND TENDON LENGTH

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 高效跑步的能力对许多运动项目的表现都很重要。以前的研究表明，高效行走的能力会增加行走的舒适性，从而增加自由生活的参与度和体重增加的可能性。因此，研究影响运动效率的因素具有重要意义。最近发现，较长的腓肠肌肌腱长度与行走效率有关。从理论上讲，这是因为较长的肌腱在运动的早期支撑阶段会被拉得更长，因此在推进阶段会产生更多的力。然而，其他一些因素，如肌肉纤维类型、力量和力量，以及运动生物力学、有氧能力(V02max)和身体成分可能会影响步行和跑步的效率。因此，本研究的目的是评估非洲裔美国人和高加索人男性跑步者的步行和跑步效率以及腓肠肌和膝盖肌的长度。为了在评价肌腱运动效率时考虑其他潜在的混杂因素，将对肌腱运动的生物力学、有氧能力、身体成分、肌纤维类型、力量和功率进行评估。由于众所周知，男性和女性在跑步成绩和跑步经济性方面的性别差异很大，15名非洲裔美国人和15名高加索男性中长跑运动员将被选为最佳10公里时间、年龄和身体成分的匹配，以确保这两个变量的分布更加均匀。我们假设，即使在调整了潜在的混杂因素后，腓肠肌和髌腱的长度也将独立地与步行和跑步效率相关。我们还假设，非裔美国人将比高加索人更有效率地行走和跑步，并且腓肠肌和膝腱将比白人更长。最后，我们假设，在调整肌腱长度后，肌腱长度的差异中介了运动效率的差异。这项研究的结果将对了解跑步效率的差异，进而更好地了解可能影响运动表现、是否容易进行体育活动、参与自由生活体育活动以及最终体重增加的因素将是重要的。

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.