Ground reaction forces in uphill and downhill trail running: a pilot outdoor study

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

Trail running is a unique and challenging form of running in natural terrain that requires specific biomechanical and physiological adaptations of the athlete. Changing inclination and surfaces (e.g., mud, gravel, rocks) alter kinetic and kinematic parameters. Laboratory studies on treadmills have already investigated the relationship between slope and running speed. However, especially in trail running, we should consider the influence of natural surfaces. Zrenner et al. (2020) showed the impact of different ground surface conditions on running kinematics with inertial measurement units mounted on the shoes, which cannot be reproduced in this form in the laboratory. For the first time, we present a pilot study focusing on ground reaction forces during uphill and downhill running on soft forest soil measured outdoors with a covered force plate. Understanding the shoe-ground interaction in real-world environments is crucial to optimize future trail running shoes.