2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (32): 5159-5166

Visualization of the biomechanical characteristics of long-distance running landing patterns

Yang Juncong1, Huang Rui1, Wu Xie1   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, as the popularity of long-distance fitness running continues to rise, more research progress has been made on related scientific issues. Among them, the landing pattern of long-distance running is an important biomechanical research hotspot at the level of running technique.
OBJECTIVE: Using CiteSpace to visualize and analyze the relevant literature, the article sorts through the last decade’s literature on the subject to identify the current state, hot spots, and trends in the footprint as well as to further discuss the main research hotspots of the foot strike pattern from a biomechanical perspective.
METHODS: “Foot strike pattern,” “Rearfoot strike,” “non-Rearfoot strike,” “Forefoot strike” and “Midfoot strike” were used as keywords to search the Web of Science Core Collection database.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 896 relevant papers were finally included. The number of articles published in a year showed an overall upward trend. The top three countries in terms of the number of publications were the United States, China and the United Kingdom; the top three institutions were Harvard University, Shanghai University of Sports and the University of Massachusetts; and the top three authors were Davis Irene S, Hamill Joseph and Fu Weijie. The keywords “barefoot running, runner, injury, footing pattern, kinesiology” appear more frequently, and the keyword clusters include “energy cost, loading rate, footing pattern, risk factors, gait analysis”, and the relevant research still continues to be hot to this day. After analyzing the above data in detail, we found that the overall research intensity of foot strike pattern has remained stable in recent years, and the hotspot mainly focuses on the biomechanical research of foot strike pattern; the trend of this kind of research focuses on the influence and adaptability of different strike patterns (forefoot strike and rearfoot strike) on long-distance runners (barefoot, shoes, distance, speed, injury risk, running economy and energy consumption, etc.). Therefore, there is no “standardized optimal landing,” but there may be “individualized optimal landings.” It is suggested that researchers should select the optimal landing pattern and running technique strategy according to their own habitual way, movement pattern characteristics, exercise level and task attributes.

Key words: foot strike pattern, visualization, running distance, marathon, pace, running economy, injury, fatigue, running shoes