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. 2025 May 1:7:1560756.
doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1560756. eCollection 2025.

Reference biomechanical parameters and natural asymmetry among runners across the age spectrum without a history of running-related injuries

Heather K Vincent #  1 , Reed Popp  1 , Orlando Cicilioni  1   2 , Kevin R Vincent #  1 , Lydia Pezzullo  1 , Matthew Martenson  1 , Ryan M Nixon #  1
Affiliations

Reference biomechanical parameters and natural asymmetry among runners across the age spectrum without a history of running-related injuries

Heather K Vincent et al. Front Sports Act Living. .

Abstract

Introduction: Running biomechanics and expected mechanical asymmetries with no history of running-related injuries, and (2) determine whether age influenced gait parameter asymmetry.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 250 runners were used to test age effects on biomechanical variables and asymmetry outcomes. Effect sizes of age brackets were determined for runner characteristics and biomechanical variables.

Results: Runners aged 55 years had the slowest velocity and 1.7%-4% slower occurred in ankle flexion moments, ankle and knee frontal excursions, and peak VALR (range, 12.1%-33.8% different between right and left limbs).

Discussion: Given that we did not find consistent effects. These data can help inform reference ranges of normative biomechanical metrics and guide clinicians in gait retraining and performance targets across the age spectrum.

Keywords: biomechanics; gait; ground reaction force (GRF); interlimb asymmetry; running.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
STROBE study flow diagram for observational studies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sagittal plane waveform data during an average gait cycle are shown for the ankle, knee, and hip joints for all four age brackets. Values are expressed in degrees and are presented as mean and standard deviation envelopes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean interlimb percent asymmetries for biomechanical parameters by age, ranked from least to greatest. (A) The mean right-to-left percent asymmetry values for the kinetic and Kvert parameters. (B) The mean right-to-left percent asymmetry values for the kinematic variables.
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