Bretta Riches – Page 21

Is Forefoot Running Better for Energy Economy than Heel Striking?

15/02/2024 Bretta Riches 0

One of the many reasons metabolic costs in running is lower when a forefoot strike is employed is due to the improvements in upper body posture and knee-joint angles at landing. These key improvements were found to prevent a force-intensive over-stride and excessive bouncing which reduced muscle force generation, while making the ankle better at translating more kinetic energy as compared with heel strike running, which was consistently found to produce shockwaves that can damage the shin, knee, lower back and energy economy!

Heel Strike Running is Bad For Your Foot’s Arch vs Forefoot Running

12/02/2024 Bretta Riches 2

The hard impact from heel striking was found to overload the arch, resulting in forces acting on the arch that are stronger than the forces acting on the arch in forefoot running. At the same time, the burst in high impact that always occurs at heel strike forces the foot into extreme positions (hyper-pronation), resulting in more bending and twisting strain rippling onto the leg and into the knee! What’s worse, there’s little indication that shoe cushioning is a quick fix for this. The best course of action is to adopt a forefoot strike landing because it was also proven to make it easier for the arch to store more energy-saving elastic power, which is what the arch was designed for.

Is Barefoot Running Faster?

11/02/2024 Bretta Riches 0

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.

Heel Strike vs Forefoot Strike Running: Which One’s More Injurious?

09/02/2024 Bretta Riches 0

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.

Running Makes You Smarter

07/02/2024 Bretta Riches 0

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.

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