简介：Backgound:Barefoot(BF)runninghasrecentlyincreasedinpopularitywithclaimsthatitismorenaturalandmayresultinfewerinjuriesduetoareductioninimpactloading.However,noviceBFrunnersdonotnecessarilyimmediatelyswitchtoaforefootstrikepattern.Thismayincreasemechanicalparameterssuchasloadingrate,whichhasheenassociatedwithcertainrunning-relatedinjuries,specifically,tibialstressfractures.patellofemoralpain,andplantariasciitis.ThepurposeofthisstudywastoexaminechangesinloadingparametersbetweentypicalshodrunningandinstructedBFrunningwithreal-timeforcefeedback.Methods:Forty-ninepatientsseekingtreatmentforalowerextremityinjuryranonaforce-sensingtreadmillintheirtypicalshodconditionandthenBFatthesamespeed.WhileBFtheyreceivedverbalinstructionandreal-timefeedbackofverticalgroundreactionforces.Results:While92%ofsubjects(n=45)demonstratedarearfootstrikepatternwhenshod,only2%(n=1)didduringtheinstructedBFrun.Additionally,whileBF47%(n=23)eliminatedtheverticalimpacttransientinalleightstepsanalyzed.AllloadingvariablesofinterestweresignificantlyreducedfromtheshodtoinstructedBFcondition.Theseincludedmaximuminstantaneousandaverageverticalloadingratesofthegroundreactionforce(p<0.0001),stiffnessduringinitialloading(p<0.0001).andpeakmedial(p=0.001)andlateral(p<0.0001)groundreactionforcesandimpulsesinthevertical(p<0.0001).medial(p=0.047),andlateral(p<0.0001)directions.Conclusion:Asimpactloadinghasbeenassociatedwithcertainrunning-relatedinjuries,instructionandfeedbackontheproperforefootstrikepatternmayhelpreducetheinjuryriskassociatedwithtransitioningtoBFrunning.