Is Heel Strike Running Bad for the Knees vs Forefoot Running?

Is Heel Strike Running Bad for the Knees vs Forefoot Running?

Why Forefoot Running is Safer on the Knees than Heel Strike Running. Left, shows a heel strike landing during running which causes heavy impact pressure to surge up through the second metatarsal head which was found to displace greater vertical peak forces on the knee. Right, shows a forefoot strike landing during running where initial ground-contact is made under the 5th and 4th toes which helps spread out the center of pressure across a larger area of the foot which was found to significantly limit vertical peak forces on the knee. This is one way forefoot running can help reduce impact on the knee and improve the odds of avoiding runners knee. Read more here!

Bretta Riches

"I believe the forefoot strike is the engine of endurance running..."

BSc Neurobiology; MSc Biomechanics candidate, ultra minimalist runner & founder of RunForefoot. I was a heel striker, always injured. I was inspired by the great Tirunesh Dibaba to try forefoot running. Now, I'm injury free. This is why I launched Run Forefoot, to advocate the health & performance benefits of forefoot running and to raise awareness on the dangers of heel striking, because the world needs to know.
Bretta Riches

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