490 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology
Running
Running gait, like walking, can be classified as a con-
tinuous movement involving a sequential pattern of
movement that is repeated. To aid with description,
the analysis involves only one leg as it goes through
a complete cycle of motion from the time that foot
strikes the ground until the same foot again strikes
the ground, termed a stride. Running is different
from walking in that there is a brief period when
the body is totally suspended and both feet lose
contact with the ground (flight phase), and there
is no point during the cycle when both feet are in
contact with the ground. Although researchers often
use a more complex subdivision of phases into peri-
ods, running is divided here into a support phase, a
driving or propulsion phase, and a recovery phase
as seen in table 8.6 (Hay, 1993; Jensen, Schultz, and
Bangerter, 1983).The support phase begins when the foot strikes
the ground. The primary function of the muscles in
the support phase is to control and arrest the down-
ward motion of the body caused by gravity, absorbing
the downward force of the runner and creating stabi-
lization (Elliott and Blanksby, 1979), similar to what
occurs in landing from a jump. This phase contains
eccentric contraction of the hip extensors, knee exten-
sors, and ankle plantar flexors to control the respec-
tive hip flexion, knee flexion, and ankle dorsiflexion
produced by gravity and, at the ankle, also passively
due to forward movement (momentum) of the body
over the foot. This phase also allows the runner to
move into position for the next phase.
As the center of gravity of the body moves in
front of the foot, the propulsion phase (table 8.6)
begins. The primary function of the muscles during
this phase is to generate the forces that will propel
the body. This phase is accompanied by hip exten-TABLE 8.6 Anatomical Analysis of Running (hip, knee, ankle-foot)Movement phases Joint movements Contraction type Prime movers: muscle group (sample muscles)
Support phase: Right leg A to B
Right hip Hip flexion Eccentric Hip extensors (hamstrings, gluteus maximus)
Right knee Knee flexion Eccentric Knee extensors (quadriceps femoris)
Right ankle-foot A-F dorsiflexion Eccentric and passive A-F plantar flexors (gastrocnemius, soleus)
Propulsion phase: Right leg C to D
Right hip Hip extension Concentric Hip extensors (hamstrings, gluteus maximus)
Right knee Knee extension Concentric Knee extensors (quadriceps femoris)
Right ankle-foot A-F plantar flexion Concentric A-F plantar flexors (gastrocnemius, soleus)
Recovery phase: Right leg E to F and left leg A to E
Right and left hip Hip flexion Concentric Hip flexors (iliopsoas, rectus femoris)
Right knee Knee flexion
(early in phase)Largely passive and
seconpdarily concentric490Right ankle-foot A-F dorsiflexion Concentric Ankle dorsiflexors (tibialis anterior, extensor
digitorum longus)