Sex-Specific Hip Movement Is Correlated With Pelvis and Upper Body Rotation During Running

Abstract

There is a sex bias for common overuse running injuries that are associated with sex-specific hip kinematics. Gait retraining programs aimed at altering hip kinematics may be more efficient if they incorporated an understanding of how hip kinematics are correlated with the movement of the remaining body segments. We applied a principal component analysis to structure the whole-body running kinematics of 23 runners (12 ♀) into k = 12 principal movements (PM_k), describing correlated patterns of upper and lower body movements. We compared the time-dependent movement amplitudes with respect to each PM_k between males and females using a waveform analysis and interpreted our findings according to stick figure animations. The movement amplitudes of two PMs (PM₆ and PM₈) showed statistically significant effects of "sex," which were independent of running speed. According to PM₈, females showed more hip adduction, which correlated with increased transverse rotation of the pelvis and upper body compared to men. We propose that increased hip adduction and upper body rotation in female runners may be a strategy to compensate for a less efficient arm and upper body swing compared to men. Gait interventions aimed at reducing hip adduction and running-related injuries in female runners should consider instructions for both upper and lower body to maximize training efficacy.

Keywords: gait retraining; gender differences; iliotibial band syndrome; knee pain; patellofemoral pain (PFP); principal component analysis (PCA); running injury.