Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2015 Aug 21;5(8):e008307.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008307.

The long-term effect of minimalist shoes on running performance and injury: design of a randomised controlled trial

Joel T Fuller  1 , Dominic Thewlis  1 , Margarita D Tsiros  1 , Nicholas A T Brown  2 , Jonathan D Buckley  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The long-term effect of minimalist shoes on running performance and injury: design of a randomised controlled trial

Joel T Fuller et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Introduction: The outcome of the effects of transitioning to minimalist running shoes is a topic of interest for runners and scientists. However, few studies have investigated the longer term effects of running in minimalist shoes. The purpose of this randomised controlled trial (RCT) is to investigate the effects of a 26 week transition to minimalist shoes on running performance and injury risk in trained runners unaccustomed to minimalist footwear.

Methods and analysis: A randomised parallel intervention design will be used. Seventy-six trained male runners will be recruited. To be eligible, runners must be aged 18-40 years, run with a habitual rearfoot footfall pattern, train with conventional shoes and have no prior experience with minimalist shoes. Runners will complete a standardised transition to either minimalist or control shoes and undergo assessments at baseline, 6 and 26 weeks. 5 km time-trial performance (5TT), running economy, running biomechanics, triceps surae muscle strength and lower limb bone mineral density will be assessed at each time point. Pain and injury will be recorded weekly. Training will be standardised during the first 6 weeks. Primary statistical analysis will compare 5TT between shoe groups at the 6-week time point and injury incidence across the entire 26-week study period.

Ethics and dissemination: This RCT has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of South Australia. Participants will be required to provide their written informed consent prior to participation in the study. Study findings will be disseminated in the form of journal publications and conference presentations after completion of planned data analysis.

Trial registration number: This RCT has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12613000642785).

Keywords: SPORTS MEDICINE; STATISTICS & RESEARCH METHODS.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant timeline (BMD, bone mineral density; ITT, intention-to-treat; RE, running economy; 5TT, 5 km treadmill time trial).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bonacci J, Saunders PU, Hicks A et al. . Running in a minimalist and lightweight shoe is not the same as running barefoot: a biomechanical study. Br J Sports Med 2013;47:387–92. 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091837 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fuller JT, Bellenger CR, Thewlis D et al. . The effect of footwear on running performance and running economy in distance runners: a systematic review. Sports Med 2015;45:411–22. 10.1007/s40279-014-0283-6 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hamill J, Russell EM, Gruber AH et al. . Impact characteristics in shod and barefoot running. Footwear Sci 2011;3:33–40. 10.1080/19424280.2010.542187 - DOI
    1. Paquette MR, Zhang S, Baumgartner LD. Acute effects of barefoot, minimal shoes and running shoes on lower limb mechanics in rear and forefoot strike runners. Footwear Sci 2013;5:9–18. 10.1080/19424280.2012.692724 - DOI
    1. Ryan M, Elashi M, Newsham-West R et al. . Examining injury risk and pain perception in runners using minimalist footwear. Br J Sports Med 2013;48:1257–62. 10.1136/bjsports-2012-092061 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources