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Study note

The effect of forward postural lean on running economy, kinematics, and muscle activation.

Updated Oct 17, 2026

Human researchPloS one2024Read the source on PubMed

What the study found

A large forward lean increased metabolic cost at the tested speed, whether the lean came from the ankle or waist. It also changed hip motion and muscle activation.

Participants and protocol

Sixteen healthy young runners tested three lean angles and two lean strategies on a treadmill at 3.58 metres per second.

What this cannot establish

This acute experiment does not show that every runner should adopt an identical posture or that a small natural lean is harmful. Long-term technique adaptation, injury and race performance were not established.

Publication details
Record
PubMed 38809851
Publication types
research-article
Indexed subjects
Leg · Muscle, Skeletal · Energy Metabolism · Posture · Running
Source record checked
2026-10-18

Publication type and subject indexing describe the record; they are not a quality grade or proof of a benefit. An abstract does not replace a review of the full methods and results.

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