Posted in Blog.
Advanced Technology for Advanced Performance
Since the inception of sport, new technology has consistently been used to improve performance. Even seemingly common things like the use of a running shoe or metal golf clubs were considered breakthroughs in their time. As society has become more advanced, the use of technology in sport has remained on the cutting edge. Baseball pitchers can now simulate how each pitch will work against opposing batters, and NFL quarterbacks use virtual reality goggles to get a better look at defensive schemes they will be facing. While this is all well and good for professional athletes, the price point for most cutting edge technology has been out of reach for most recreational athletes. For runners, most of the available technology has served simply to track metrics like distance, heart rate, and cadence more efficiently. While this is definitely helpful, it really has offered little outside of convenience.
This has changed with the development of the MotionMetrix 3D gait analysis system. Instead of simply tracking temporal characteristics of gait, this system gives you a complete picture of how every body part functions through every phase of gait. This allows you (along with a coach/physical therapist) to identify the exact component of your running form that is slowing you down or causing injury, enabling you to focus your training on the area/areas of weakness. After receiving cueing and exercises to correct the most glaring issues, you can then repeat the test to be objectively sure you are fixing the issue!
To be more specific, MotionMetrix tracks joint kinematics (how your joints move), joint loading, foot strike, forward lean, pelvic tilt, force at landing (both vertical and horizontal), vertical and horizontal displacement and more. All of these have been tested by third-party researchers against the gold standard in biomechanic assessment (which takes a full day and fully equipped lab to complete) and proven to be accurate. This is possibly due to depth sensitive cameras, in which each pixel is able to calculate the distance to an object to the closest millimeter, allowing for 3D reconstruction and analysis of motion.
Lastly, MotionMetrix has gathered data on hundreds of runners of all skill level to calculate your overall running economy, meaning how efficient your running form is. This includes factors such as how much elastic (free) energy is generated, and mechanical work is being performed by your muscles. The better the running economy, the more work (movement) is occurring for the least amount of energy spent.
This kind of technology has never before been accessible to the everyday runner and may be the key for a lot of people breaking through plateaus. Instead of just increasing the miles and thereby injury risk, MotionMetrix offers an alternative way to improve performance by improving the efficiency of your movement. Elite runners all across the world are already using MotionMetrix multiple times a month in order to maintain optimal form.
If you feel as if something about your form is not quite right, are having trouble running without pain, or just have hit a plateau, a smart next step is getting your form analyzed, and no better option currently exists than MotionMetrix 3D gait analysis system.
