Continuously monitoring runners' adaptive strategies to prolonged running on an outdoor track with straight and curved paths: Insights from the varying intersegment coordination variability and shock absorption during a full marathon.

Summary: Have you ever wondered what happens to a runner's body during a long marathon? Scientists tracked 23 runners using special wearable sensors to see how their legs moved and absorbed shock. They checked the runners every 5 kilometers on both straight and curved paths. They found that as the runners got tired toward the end of the race, their running style changed. Their legs wobbled more back and forth (like a door hinge) but stayed stiffer side-to-side. This change might help them keep moving forward when exhausted, but it also makes it harder for their bodies to absorb the hard pounding of the pavement, which could lead to more stress on their joints.