ISB is proud to support students all over the world. We invite you to read the report from the former recipient of the ISB Matching Dissertation Grant, Pieter Van den Berghe, from the Research Unit in Biomechanics of Human Movement, Ghent University.
Advisors: Profs. Veerle Segers, Marc Leman, Dirk De Clercq
Dissertation Title: Motor retraining by real-time sonic feedback: understanding strategies of low impact running
I wish to thank the International Society of Biomechanics council and my advisors for their support in providing research funding through the Matching Dissertation Grant Program. It was a helpful financial support for the work initiated at Ghent University, which gave me the ability to complete the PhD amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
My PhD dissertation is entitled “Motor retraining by real-time sonic feedback: understanding strategies of low impact running”. Human running is a very popular physical activity and has many health benefits; however, running comes with a risk of overuse injury. Situated in the framework of injury prevention, my PhD research aimed to transfer the practice and evaluation of running retraining for impact reduction with the use of live feedback about impact out of the laboratory.
The first part of the dissertation was about the co-development, validation and evaluation of a wearable feedback device providing musically inspired feedback to reduce impact loading in running [1-5]. Using this novel device, individualized biofeedback is provided in real-time through music (i.e., musical distortion at high impact) that allows the user to make adjustments leading to a significant reduction in impact. We expected an impact reduction during running with the audio biofeedback and found a substantial impact reduction of ~26% and of large effect in controlled interventions [2-4]. The musically inspired feedback application can boost gait retraining in real training environments with the aid of smart running accessories. The biofeedback device has great ecological value due to the portable hardware for outdoor usage and stimulated a change in how humans with high-impact run.
The second part of the dissertation gives insights into possible strategies for low(er) impact running. Two motor strategies were discovered. One strategy that emerged from empirical evidence was an obvious heel strike for running with a relatively low peak tibial acceleration [5-6]. The radical changes in equipment in biomechanics laboratories such as in the recent Sport Science Laboratory-Jacques Rogge allow that the research involving foot strike patterns is more fine-grained than it was in the 1980s. In a lab-based study led by my colleague Dr. Rud Derie, we came to a better understanding of the main change in running style in response to the music-based biofeedback [7]. The published studies advance our understanding of running biomechanics to eventually minimize injury risk and to promote health. The PhD dissertation has been published in brief by the British Journal of Sports Medicine in the PhD Academy Award category [8], which you can freely access using this link.
Besides the student grant program, the ISB has brought me joy and excitement in ways I could not have imagined. With this newsletter note, I now have the opportunity to share how this Society can influence one’s research process. As a student member of the biomechanics community, you are not an island and interacting with community members is a fabulous opportunity to learn and grow. One way to interact with other biomechanists is through the ISB Mentoring Program. The purpose of this societal program is to bring together biomechanics students and established biomechanists (or other students in the field). Many ISB members exhibit a common trait of being very committed to their interests, working hard, showing generosity and a willingness to help others in our field. The discussions I had with Prof. Allison Gruber has been very insightful and even set a short research visit in motion to the Indiana University Biomechanics Laboratory few years ago.
Another way to interact with biomechanists at the international level is by attending professional meetings such as the biennial ISB Congress. I have come to believe that these meetings are essential for the development of a young researcher. There you will find an abundance of generous and supportive community members willing to share insights and lessons learned, often in the hope it takes you less time to learn these lessons than it took them. The associated mentoring events, usually organized by the student representative, are excellent social events to participate in as a young member. By swapping stories with other researchers one can refine thoughts about ongoing research and new research ideas may bubble up.
Following the ISB Session about footwear biomechanics at the 8th World Congress of Biomechanics, an informal conversation that I had with Dr. Marlene Giandolini of the Salomon SAS’ Innovation and Sport Sciences Lab made me think differently about 3D tibial acceleration in level-ground running. This conversation led us to join forces as we kickstarted a rather unique multi-center construct report. A year later, our main results were orally presented for a full house at the ISB/ASB 2019 conference in Calgary, Canada.
Good science is too challenging to tackle alone, so building bridges from your island to exchange knowledge and collaborate is of mutual benefit to advance our field. Two years later, the closing piece of my dissertation which involved a quasi-randomized controlled trial was recognized with a finalist place in the David Winter Young Investigator poster award competition during the virtual ISB 2021 congress.
Along the way, I made friendships that have enriched both my professional and personal life. Committed and friendly team and societal members are one of the most important elements for success if pursuing doctoral studies. Teamwork makes the dream work, and when matched we can make a big leap forward in a single dissertation. Although the experiences that I shared may seem trivial, I hope they can be helpful to others.
Sincerely
Pieter Van den Berghe
References
- Van den Berghe, P., Six, J., Gerlo, J., Leman, M., & De Clercq, D. (2019). Validity and reliability of peak tibial accelerations as real-time measure of impact loading during over-ground rearfoot running at different speeds. Journal of Biomechanics, 86, 238–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.01.039
- Van den Berghe, P.*, Lorenzoni, V.*, Derie, R., Six, J., Gerlo, J., Leman, M., De Clercq, D. (2021). Music-based biofeedback to reduce tibial shock in over-ground running: a proof-of-concept study. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 4091. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83538-w ▀
- Van den Berghe, P., Gosseries, M., Gerlo, J., Lenoir, M., Leman, M., & De Clercq, D. (2020). Change-point detection of peak tibial acceleration in overground running retraining. Sensors, 20(6), 1720. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20061720 ▀
- Van den Berghe, P., Derie, R., Bauwens, P., Gerlo, J., Segers, V., Leman, M., De Clercq, D. (2022). Reducing the peak tibial acceleration of running by music‐based biofeedback: A quasi‐randomized controlled trial. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14123
- Van den Berghe, P., Warlop, L., Derie, R., Leman, M., De Clercq, D., Breine, B. (2022). Foot strike determines the center of pressure behavior and affects impact severity in heel-toe running. Journal of Sports Sciences. Apr 3;40(7):808–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2021.2019991
- Van den Berghe, P., Breine, B., Haeck, E., De Clercq, D. (2022). One hundred marathons in 100 days: Unique biomechanical signature and the evolution of force characteristics and bone density. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 11:347–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2021.03.009 ▀
- Derie R, Van den Berghe P, Gerlo J, Bonnaerens S, Van Caekenberghe I, Fiers P, De Clercq D, Segers V. Biomechanical adaptations following a music‐based biofeedback gait retraining program to reduce peak tibial accelerations. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2022; 32(7):1142–1152. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14162.
- Van den Berghe, P. (2022) Motor retraining by real-time sonic feedback: understanding strategies of low impact running. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 105750. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-105750.
▀ denotes Open Access.