Date

8-6-2025

Department

School of Health Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)

Chair

Eric Sobolewski

Keywords

Pes planus, gluteus medius, surface electromyography, gait, foot posture index, running-related injuries

Disciplines

Sports Sciences

Abstract

Pes planus foot type and gluteus medius (GMed) dysfunction are independently considered risk factors in developing several overuse running-related injuries because they propagate kinematic and kinetic changes in the leg during the gait cycle. While both produce similar kinesiological actions, research on the relationship between foot type and GMed activation in running is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between pes planus and pes rectus foot types and their association with GMed activity during running gait in recreational endurance runners. 47 recreational endurance-based runners running approximately 5-15 miles weekly for at least 6 months with no notable injuries were recruited from local run clubs in Pensacola, Florida. Participants were sorted into two groups determined using the foot posture index: pes planus and pes rectus. Then, GMed activation was measured using a wireless 16-channel Delsys Trigno sEMG system while the participants ran on a treadmill. GMed muscle activity is expressed as a percentage of the highest maximum voluntary isometric contraction attained during a testing protocol. The data were analyzed by running independent sample t-tests using the QI Macros add-in on Microsoft Excel to measure statistical significance (p < 0.05). The results did not reveal a statistically significant difference between the means of each group. Future studies should replicate this study controlling for training history and other biomechanical qualities that vary in runners, using dynamic foot posture instead of static foot posture, and increasing the sample size to reach a statistical power of 80%.

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