Does Heel Striking When Running Cause Knee Pain?

Heel striking when running is bad for the knees because it produces too many opposing forces by causing the knee to maximally extend (fully unbend) and stiffen too much at landing. This maximum knee extension at heel strike results in a longer over-stride angle (too much over-reach of the leg in front of the body) that’s accompanied by an unpleasant brake force followed by greater compressive loading. The only way to prevent these forces is with forefoot running because it makes more functional use of the knee in ways that naturally engages a shorter over-stride angle which has a large effect on preventing high brake forces. Read more here!