Differences in the stride time and lower limb joint angles and their variability during distance running between treadmill and over-ground: a crossover study

BACKGROUND: Treadmills have been used in laboratories to assess various measures related to walking and running. However, there has been some skepticism regarding their reliability as a representation of outdoor running. While marathon running has gained popularity as a form of physical activity, there have been few studies examining stride-to-stride variability after distance running, especially in relation to the duration and surface of running. This study compared stride time and lower limb joint angles during distance treadmill running and running over-ground. The hypothesis was that stride-to-stride variability would be influenced by running duration and surface, with greater variability observed during outdoor running.<br /> METHODS: Eleven runners participated in the study, running on a treadmill and over-ground for 31 minutes at their preferred speed. Inertial measurement units were used to measure stride time, total range of motion, and joint angles of the hip, knee, and ankle in different phases of the gait cycle in the sagittal plane movements. Mean and coefficient of variation of each parameter were compared between the initial and final 5 minutes of running on the treadmill and over-ground.<br /> RESULTS: There were no significant differences in stride time or its variability based on running duration or surface. However, mean and variability of certain lower limb joint angles were higher during outdoor running, supporting the hypothesis. Variability was higher in the initial duration of running as compared to final phase of running. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that treadmill may not fully reflect the dynamics of running over-ground. It is important to consider variability in gait analysis and research, as well as the potential impact on training and clinical practice.