Piloting a population-based intervention to lower running-related injury rates

Musculoskeletal injuries are frequent in runners and prevention is, therefore, warranted. Our hypothesis is that using variable auditory cueing with pink noise characteristics to which participants shall synchronise while running at their preferred speed can affect their movement variability patterns and thereby reduce their risk of running-related injuries. This shall be tested in a two-arm statistical superiority pilot-RCT in which 70 runners will be recruited in a stratified manner. The intervention will consist of running twice a week at preferred running speed to an auditory cue with pink noise characteristics embedded in music over a period of eight months. Control group participants will run without pink noise cueing. Changes in movement variability will be assessed in terms of fluctuations in stride intervals. Peak impact forces using a tibia-mounted inertial sensor will also be recorded, together with injury incidence rate using monthly questionnaires. The outcomes will help gauge the justifiability and feasibility of a subsequent larger RCT, as well as allow the refinement of that future RCT’s protocol.