Ground Contact Time (GCT)

Get this key gait metric with walks and runs.

Ground contact time is a biomechanical factor related to walking/running that has implications for both athletic and clinical populations.

Examples of how to use Plantiga's Ground Contact Time Measure

Ground contact time and running performance - There is a strong inverse relationship between running speed and ground contact time; as running speed increases, ground contact time decreases. In addition, ground contact time is related to both running efficiency and maximal running speeds in elite distance runners.

➡️ Ground contact time as an indicator of metabolic cost in elite distance runners (Chapman et al, 2012)

Ground contact time and injury prevention - An increased cadence (decreased GCT) decreases average and instantaneous load, along with vertical ground reaction forces. In turn, these decreased forces manipulate running parameters that may prevent plantar fasciopathy, patellofemoral pain, achilles tendinopathy, and tibial stress fractures.

➡️ Altering Cadence or Vertical Oscillation During Running: Effects on Running Related Injury Factors (Adams et al, 2018)

How to interpret ground contact time:

• Elite Sprinter - <150ms
• Elite endurance runner - <200ms
• Average runner - ~240ms
• Healthy non-runner - ~280-300ms