Introduction: A Qualitative Analysis of Running In the 1970s, thousands of people hit the road with a new exercise trend: running. It was easy enough; simply put one foot in front of the other as fast as you can and go as far as you can. Do you feel the burning in your chest? Sweat running down your face? The throbbing in your knees as your foot sinks into the ground with each step? Well, then you're practicing! You're running! Since then, running has become a dominant factor in sports and fitness; a factor so widespread that in the last quarter of a century the number of musculoskeletal injuries due to running has also increased. These chronic injuries are usually due to overuse, improper training techniques, or a combination of the two. Using the results of studies by other biomechanists, it is possible to extrapolate an idea of ​​what running should feel like and which muscles are used during the activity. As a result, changes can be made to technique, strength training, and flexibility training to reduce the risk of injury. Article Summary Before analyzing the mechanics of running, it is important to amass some of the extensive research available for this activity. The following are brief summaries of research articles studying various factors about running. DeVita (1994) noted that the gait cycle is measured in two ways: swing-stance-swing or stance-swing-stance. In this study, EMG activity of six muscles was obtained from four subjects while they walked and ran. Data were collected while subjects performed a consecutive period of swing, stance, and swing of each gait. From this it is possible to measure the swing-stance and stance-swing period of each gait. EMG results showed increased activation levels for 5/6 muscles during the swing to stance period. The results concluded that the subjects had to prepare for the onset of stance and the application of relatively large external forces and impulses. Therefore, when evaluating human gait, it is best to look at stance-swing-stance. Jacobs, Bobbert, VanIngen, and Schenau (1993) analyzed the function of mono- and biarticular leg muscles during the lengthening-shortening cycle of 6-SM running. Kinematics, ground reaction forces, and EMG activities were recorded for a single stance phase. First of all, the estimates of muscle strength were correlated with the origin... half of the article... Reference pageDeVita, P. (1994). The selection of a standard convention for the analysis of gait data based on the analysis of relevant biomechanical factors, Journal of Biomechanics (vol 27, no 4) p. 501-507.Hall, S. J. (1999). Basic Biomechanics (3rd ed), p. 398-439. McGraw-Hill.Jacobs, R., Bobbert, M.F., vanIngen Schenau, G.J. (1993). Function of mono- and bi-articular muscles in running, Medicine and science in sport and physical exercise (vol 25, n. 10) pag. 1163-1173.National Strength and Conditioning Association, Baechle, T.R., editor (1994). Essentials of Strength and Conditioning Training p. 293-385. Human Kinetics: New Zealand.Nig, B., DeBoer, R., & Fisher, V. (1995). A kinematic comparison between surface running and treadmill running, Medicine and science in sport and exercise (vol 27, n. 1) pag. 98-105. Northrip, J. W., Logan, G. A., & Wayne, C. M. (1979). Introduction to the biomechanical analysis of sport (2nd ed), p. 45. W. C. Brown Co. Publishers: Dubuque, IA. Rasch P. J. & Burke, R. E. (1978). Kinesiology and applied anatomy (6th ed) pag. 199-398. Lea and Febiger: Philadelphia Thordarson, D. B. (1997). Biomechanics of running, Sports medicine clinics (vol 16, n. 2) pag. 239-247.