Inertial measurement units (IMUs) fixed to the lower limbs have been reported to provide accurate estimates of stride lengths (SLs) during walking. Due to technical challenges, validation of such estimates in running is generally limited to speeds (well) below 5 m·s-1. However, athletes sprinting at (sub)maximal effort already surpass 5 m·s-1 after a few strides. The present study aimed to develop and validate IMU-derived SLs during maximal linear overground sprints. Recreational athletes (n = 21) completed two sets of three 35 m sprints executed at 60, 80, and 100% of subjective effort, with an IMU on the instep of each shoe. Reference SLs from start to ~30 m were obtained with a series of video cameras. SLs from IMUs were obtained by double integration of horizontal acceleration with a zero-velocity update, corrected for acceleration artefacts at touch-down of the feet. Peak sprint speeds (mean ± SD) reached at the three levels of effort were 7.02 ± 0.80, 7.65 ± 0.77, and 8.42 ± 0.85 m·s-1, respectively. Biases (±Limits of Agreement) of SLs obtained from all participants during sprints at 60, 80, and 100% effort were 0.01% (±6.33%), -0.75% (±6.39%), and -2.51% (±8.54%), respectively. In conclusion, in recreational athletes wearing IMUs tightly fixed to their shoes, stride length can be estimated with reasonable accuracy during maximal linear sprint acceleration.
Keywords: IMU; acceleration; athletics; running; stride length; wearables.