Barefoot running was found to improve the mechanical chain of events that made the arch and Achilles significantly more energy efficient and protected from high impact. Conversely, heel strike running in cushioned running shoes was found to be the least effective way to power the elastic structures in the lower leg, while the leg and lower back faced more rising tides of heavy impact.
Over the last decade, study after study has found heel strike runners are 2.6 times more likely to have mild injuries, 2.4 times more likely to have moderate injuries and have an overall injury rate nearly 2 times higher than forefoot strike runners. The big reason heel strike runners have higher levels of injury is because all-around impact levels are often much more in heel strike running than forefoot running, and running shoes, despite thick cushioning, actually amplifies the already higher-than-normal impacts of heel strike running.
Pioneering research discovered running makes you smarter by increasing neurotrophic factors that promote new neuronal growth in an area of the brain responsible for forming new, long-term memories. Essentially, running makes your brain more ready to learn with more mental clarity, while making your brain better at forming memories that matter.
One prominent example the research has provided us is forefoot running is actually faster than heel strike running, even for the marathon, because the mechanical components that are specifically engaged when a forefoot strike is employed allows the Achilles tendon and the arch of the foot to function better at storing and releasing energy-saving elastic power. The big advantage of this is the muscles use less energy to push the body forward through each step as compared with heel strike running, which relies on the knees to handle the bulk of the mechanical work. This is one reason over-use injuries at the knee are steadily high in heel strike runners, regardless of cushioned footwear!
Consistent with the ongoing research on impact mechanics in runners, cushioned running shoes have very little, if not, no clinical promise because they cause dramatic increases in net impact forces and other physical stressors, such as over-pronation, which means the foot shifts into extreme positions during stance, which transfers more bending and twisting strain up the Achilles, through the shins and the knee. The fit also counters the normal shape of the foot, while the thick underfoot compressible materials undermind adequate foot strike control, while leading to an overall loss of foot strength if dependence on these shoes continues as compared with flat, more ‘barefoot-like’ shoes.
Copyright © 2025 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes