Biomechanical analyses of professional ultramarathon athletes: The effect of repeated long distances on the gait kinematic and kinetics

Constant monitoring of an athlete allows to foresee any injuries by acting on the dynamics of the movements. For runners, the conduct of a correct athletic gesture according to the athlete's specific body biomechanics guarantees the minimization of non-accidental injury factors. For athletes who are engaged in endurance sports such as marathon runners, the long distances to which they are subjected increases the importance of this type of monitoring. This work reports the results of a study carried out on three IUTA (Italian Ultramarathon and Trail Association) athletes during a routine check carried out at a reference healthcare facility that takes care of their care. These athletes are all specialized in the 24-hour race in which they try to reach the most distance in this time. This type of effort can be made if the athlete undergoes an adequate training regime over long distances. The execution of the running pattern in such a repeated way can lead to the accentuation of postural and joint problems. It is therefore necessary to monitor the biomechanics parameters. In this work, therefore, various gestures are analyzed to show potential movement deficits in order to act in advance on the running technique.