{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T22:25:53Z","timestamp":1790288753902,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,13]],"date-time":"2024-11-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1731456000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Human locomotion contains innate variability which may provide health insights. Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) has been used to quantify the temporal structure of variability for treadmill running, although it has been less commonly applied to uncontrolled overground running. This study aimed to determine how running gait complexity changes in response to gradient and elapsed exercise duration during uncontrolled overground running. Sixty-eight participants completed an overground, mass-participation five-kilometre run (a parkrun). Stride times were recorded using an inertial measurement unit mounted on the distal shank. Data were divided into four consecutive intervals (uphill lap 1, downhill lap 1, uphill lap 2, downhill lap 2). The magnitude (SD) and structure (DFA) of stride time variability were compared across elapsed exercise duration and gradient using a repeated-measures ANOVA. Participants maintained consistent stride times throughout the run. Stride time DFA-\u03b1 displayed a moderate decrease (d = |0.39| \u00b1 0.13) during downhill running compared to uphill running. DFA-\u03b1 did not change in response to elapsed exercise duration, although a greater stride time SD was found during the first section of lap 1 (d = |0.30| \u00b1 0.12). These findings suggest that inter- and intra-run changes in gait complexity should be interpreted in the context of course elevation profiles before conclusions on human health are drawn.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s24227252","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,13]],"date-time":"2024-11-13T08:09:28Z","timestamp":1731485368000},"page":"7252","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Running Gait Complexity During an Overground, Mass-Participation Five-Kilometre Run"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-3389-5698","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ben","family":"Jones","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Olympic Legacy Park, 2 Old Hall Rd, Sheffield S9 3TY, UK"},{"name":"Sport, Performance and Nutrition Research Group, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0805-8170","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ben","family":"Heller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Olympic Legacy Park, 2 Old Hall Rd, Sheffield S9 3TY, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linda","family":"van Gelder","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Olympic Legacy Park, 2 Old Hall Rd, Sheffield S9 3TY, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew","family":"Barnes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Olympic Legacy Park, 2 Old Hall Rd, Sheffield S9 3TY, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0938-2570","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joanna","family":"Reeves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Public Health and Sport Sciences Department, University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke\u2019s Campus, 79 Heavitree Rd, Exeter EX2 4TH, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1107-6452","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jon","family":"Wheat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Olympic Legacy Park, 2 Old Hall Rd, Sheffield S9 3TY, UK"},{"name":"Sport and Human Performance Enhancement Research Centre, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"224","DOI":"10.1080\/14763140701322994","article-title":"Is movement variability important for sports biomechanists?","volume":"6","author":"Bartlett","year":"2007","journal-title":"Sports Biomech."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-200333040-00001","article-title":"Movement Systems as Dynamical Systems","volume":"33","author":"Davids","year":"2003","journal-title":"Sports Med."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1757","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-020-01326-4","article-title":"Sports Injury Forecasting and Complexity: A Synergetic Approach","volume":"50","author":"Fonseca","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sports Med."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"James, C. 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