Energy dissipation due to soft tissue movement of the shank during forefoot and rearfoot impacts at different running velocities

Soft tissue motion can contribute to energy losses during locomotion. Energy losses due to soft tissue motion were calculated using marker arrays on the shank soft tissue during different foot strike patterns and running velocities on a group of runners. Energy losses associated with damped soft tissue motion were greater with a rearfoot strike (~4 J vs ~2 J) and at higher velocities (~6 J vs ~2 J).