Running Step Rate Can Be Increased With Both Metronome and Music Auditory Cueing.

Abstract

Context: Running-related injuries are a major barrier to running, depriving individuals of health benefits. Harmful running biomechanics like decreased knee flexion, increased loading, and excessive hip adduction can be positively altered by increasing step rate (SR). Increasing SR is typically accomplished with a metronome, but music may be a more enjoyable alternative for patients. Therefore, the objective was to compare the effects of music tempo and metronome cueing on running SR, peak positive tibial acceleration, peak hip adduction, and peak knee flexion during stance phase in healthy runners.

Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Forty individuals assigned to either music or metronome auditory cues completed a pretest running assessment wearing inertial measurement units while SR and biomechanical variables (tibial acceleration, peak stance phase hip adduction, and knee flexion) were collected. Auditory cues (music vs metronome) were set to the target SR of +5% above preferred. Participants began running at the same speed used during the pretest while increasing their SR. Auditory cues were then removed. Participants were instructed to continue running at the target SR while posttest data were collected in the same manner as the pretest. A 2 × 2 multivariate repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare SR and running biomechanical variables.

Results: Both music and metronome groups increased SR between the pretest and posttest (P = .001). No differences were found in peak positive tibial acceleration, peak knee flexion during stance phase, and peak hip adduction during stance phase between the 2 conditions or timepoints.

Conclusion: Both a metronome and music can be used to increase SR during running. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of music in gait retraining and increase SR to a magnitude that accompanies protective biomechanics. Clinicians may now offer a choice of music or metronome auditory cueing to better cater to psychological needs of runners.