Inter-individual differences in bilateral changes to foot angle following a running gait retraining intervention

Running gait retraining (GR) can alter running technique and lower limb loading patterns. The aim of the study was to examine bilateral changes in foot angle after a GR intervention that targeted running with a flatter foot. Five rearfoot strikers undertook six GR sessions whilst receiving an internal focus of attention verbal cue. Foot angle was calculated in the first and last session for both feet. The smallest worthwhile change was calculated for a control group (n=5), which gave a threshold on change considered meaningful. No group level differences in foot angle were found between the first and last GR session. However, there were inter-individual differences in foot angle responses, with three runners producing a unilateral meaningful reduction in foot angle. But, no bilateral reductions were observed. The findings suggest that clinicians should not expect a unilateral kinematic analysis to be representative of an individual’s bilateral responses.