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

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

12/02/2024 Bretta Riches 0

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.


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

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.

Does Forefoot Running Prevent Injury?

Is Forefoot Running Faster than Heel Strike Running?

04/02/2024 Bretta Riches 0

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!

How Do You Treat Heel Strike Pain?

How Do You Treat Heel Strike Pain?

27/01/2024 Bretta Riches 0

Heel strike running is the most damaging style of running to the heel because the mechanical risk factors engaged at heel strike were found to wear away the heel pad. What’s worse, cushioned running shoes was unhelpful because heel-impact was actually amplified. In recent years, several compelling studies have emerged to explain that the best path for protecting, not just the heel, but the body from impact-related damage, forefoot running’s claim to fame is there’s so little impact acting on the entire body that it does no harm.

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Heel Strike Running Causes Toe Injury

Heel Strike Running Causes Toe Injury

26/01/2024 Bretta Riches 2

The mechanical components engaged by heel striking when running was found to increase bending moments beyond tolerance on the toes, while plantar pressure in the forefoot raised to pain-inducing levels. Another bad outcome from this was increases in dorsal bending moments and compression strains placed additional burdens on the foot, as compared with forefoot running, which showed a net-reduction in injurious foot loading.

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