Overground vs. Treadmill Running

1. Overground vs. Treadmill Running By: Jamie Fracol and Michelle Hinemeyer

2. Why are we interested in this subject? • We both enjoy walking and running as a mode of exercise • The treadmill is the most popular exercise machine to do this activity on • There are always people outside running and walking, so it applies to a wide population • If we would want to train for a marathon or a race at some point we would like to know if one or the other is more beneficial

3. Why is running a good mode of exercise? • It has the best heart rate response • It has the highest oxygen consumption • It has the highest ground reaction forces

4. History of Running • Running was the only sport in the first 13 Olympics which began in 776 BC • The race length was about 85 meters • Marathons come from the Greeks in 490 BC when they defeated the Persians at the Marathon Battle. Pheidippides ran 35 km from Marathon to Athens to deliver the good news. When he arrived he only had the strength to say “We won!” and fall down dead.

5. History of the Treadmill • It was first invented in 1875 • They were run by animals to power fanny mills, butter churners, and power threshing machines • The first medical treadmill was built in 1952 to diagnose and evaluate heart and lung disease • Today you can get a double-wide treadmill, enough room for you and your jogging partner, or even your dog!

6. Hypothesis • Overground running is better than treadmill running because it is not simulated by a machine, it has a higher oxygen debt, and better fitness results, expecially if training for a marathon or something similar.

7. Overground Running • Pros • Good carryover to locomotion • It is a weight bearing exercise with high GRF’s • Cheap • The only equipment needed is running shoes • Cons • It is only weather permitting • People with joint pain, such as arthritis, may have trouble being outside

8. Treadmill Running • Pros • Good carryover to locomotion • Can control speed and slope • Can be programmable and reproducible • It is a weight bearing exercise with high GRF’s • Lower RPE than most other aerobic exercise machines

9. Treadmill Running Cont’d • Cons • Expensive • Not portable and compact • Noisy • Absence of pleasurable distraction while exercising

10. Past Research • Analysis of Overground and Treadmill Sprinting • Purpose • To examine if sprinting 100 yds overground was more strenuous than on a treadmill and to see if selected temporal and kinematic variables reflected differences in running technique at maximum running velocities between overground and treadmill running conditions • Subjects • Five college varsity sprinters who volunteered

11. Past Research Cont’d • Results • The average running velocities between the two conditions were significantly different • There was a significant difference between oxygen debt, overground being 36% greater than treadmill running conditions • No significant difference was found between step length, step frequency, and the temporal components of the step

12. Past Research Cont’d • Aerobic Requirements of Overground vs. Treadmill Running • Purpose • To compare oxygen demands of treadmill vs. overground running and to examine the accuracy of the prediction formulas for inclined running outlined in the ACSM Guidelines for Graded Exercise Testing and Prescription • Subjects • Seven males who volunteered and participated in PA on a regular basis

13. Past Research Cont’d • Results • No statistical difference was found between VO2 from treadmill and overground running • There was a 36% higher oxygen debt from running on a track rather than a treadmill, same as the findings from the previous study • ACSM formulas indicate that overground running is more costly, but no significant differences were found in energy requirements from this study

14. Past Research Cont’d • Are Overground or Treadmill Runners More Likely to Sustain Tibial Stress Fracture? • Purpose • To see if tibial strains and strain rates during treadmill running are higher or lower than during overground running. • Subjects • Two males and one female member of the research staff who were healthy and engaged in moderate levels of physical activity.

15. Past Research Cont’d • Results • Peak mean tibial axial compression, tension strains, peak mean tension and compression strain rates were significantly higher during overground running than during treadmill running with all three subjects

16. Conclusion • The better form of exercise, treadmill vs. overground running, depends on each individuals overall goal • Overground running is better when training for a marathon or race due to a higher oxygen debt and various outdoor elements • Treadmill running is better when desiring weight loss and overall health and fitness when wanting to exercise inside

17. Conclusion Cont’d • Overground running is better when trying to achieve higher bone density • Treadmill running is better when trying to avoid tibial stress fractures

18. Questions?