Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab at WPI: Marathon Study
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Have you been recently diagnosed with a metatarsal bone stress injury, stress fracture, or stress reaction?
The Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab at WPI is recruiting injured running athletes to better understand how to prevent these injuries. Training for your first marathon is an exciting challenge! Aside from the bragging rights you'll earn along the way, marathon training has huge benefits for your health! That "fit" feeling that you enjoy with regular endurance running comes from improved heart, lun
g, muscle and psychological health - so those long miles are a fantastic investment! The Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab at WPI is partnering with the Biomechanics Lab at Gordon College for a new study. We are targeting first-time marathoners to help us answer this central question:
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How does your running form change and how does the strength of your bones change during marathon training?
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It's also possible that the way you run could influence the way your bones change! In order to investigate this issue, we are recruiting runners who plan to run their FIRST marathon during the next calendar year. (Sorry marathon veterans - your body is already battle-hardened and may not change as much during training. Keep it up!)
The study itself involves two tests before you start training and the same two tests in the weeks after the marathon:
First test: Your running form
Your running style is unique! This gait analysis test will take place at the Biomechanics Lab at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. You'll be asked to run through the laboratory while researchers measure several aspects of your running form. Each gait analysis visit should last about an hour and a half. Second test: Your bone health
Evidence suggests that the repeated leg loading that comes with endurance running is beneficial to bone health, and we aim to find out for sure! This test will take place at the Gateway complex at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and should last about an hour. The tests involve taking high-resolution CT images of the bones in your ankle and lower leg. Performing these two tests before and after your training will give us (and you!) a detailed description of the way your body adapts to all that running. We realize that driving to WPI and Gordon College might not be on your way to anything, and we will pay $20 for each completed test visit. If you are a first-time marathoner to be, congratulations on taking the first step towards such a great goal! And if you know someone who might fit the bill, please let them know about our study! If you are interested in being a participant, please click the survey link below. The results of the quick survey will be sent to us, and we'll contact you about signing up. Happy trails!
- the team at WPI and Gordon College
