CEC
ARTICLE
1 OF 5
ARTICLES
RESEARCH REVIEW
THE EARTH IS NOT FLAT!
(AND YOUR TREADMILL
NEEDN’T BE EITHER)
Does running on a curved, non-motorised treadmill require more effort and
musculature involvement than a traditional, motorised one?
Review by Dr Mike Climstein PhD & Dr Joe Walsh PhD
This type of treadmill is
proposed to facilitate
a more natural running
style in which the user
is required to run on the
balls of the feet
Title: Physiological and Perceptual demands of Running on a Curved
nonmotorized treadmill at different grades
Authors: Dr’s Schoenmakers and colleagues, School of Sport,
Rehabilitation and Exercise, University of Essex, United Kingdom
Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2020). 34
(5): 1197-1200
Introduction: Do I consider myself athletic (despite my advanced
age)? Absolutely. I can still surf, skateboard, rollerblade, cycle (without
training wheels), study and teach karate. I do balance board training,
have a good jump rope regime and turn the stairs into a workout by
running up them (and walking down), hopping up every third step
with both legs, or hopping up every second step, alternating legs – all
of which is good plyometric training for increasing kicking power. I
believe that most athletic-type movements are easy for me to adapt
to. Or so I thought.
I have my normal gym training regime (i.e. order of exercises) that
I have followed for decades. Although I loathe aerobic exercises
like treadmill running, I appreciate the benefits obtained from high
intensity interval training, so it’s first on the to-do list at the gym every
session. And being the ‘I fear change’ person that I am, I have a
favourite treadmill that I run on. It’s adjacent to the wall so I don’t have
someone on each side of me while I am training (which is becoming
the new normal anyway due to COVID-19 regulations), it is out of
direct sunlight so doesn’t heat up mid-day, and is covered by two
industrial strength fans that provide perfect cooling without blowing
the air directly on me. Yes, I am high maintenance.
Just recently, after a morning teaching at university (metabolic
NETWORK SPRING 2020 | 29