For decades, research has suggested that running injuries are the result of the human body being inherently weak. Unsurprisingly, most of the literature tends to portray female runners as being more fragile than male runners as well.
The gist is, many reports caution runners that our musculoskeletal system lacks the capacity to absorb the impact peaks and transients associated with running, but what these reports fails to take into account is foot strike and footwear.
Running Injures Stem from Bad Shoes and the Wrong Foot Strike
The most severe methodological shortcoming that plagues much of the research on running injuries is that very rarely does a study consider foot strike. Because of this, associations between ‘risk factors’ such as muscle strength imbalance, gender, age, running experience, flexibility, and running injuries are misleading.
Truthfully, the best scientific evidence indicates that foot strike pattern (heel strike vs forefoot strike) — heavily influenced by footwear — is the fundamental variable that affects impact peaks and transients during running. Unfortunately, running injuries remain high because clinical interventions does not reflect this scientific understanding.
Decades of systematic reviews have been carried out to identify the main risk factors of common running injuries only to discover that the strongest predictor of these injuries are impact peaks and transients, which are associated with a heel strike landing, not a forefoot strike landing.
- Thanks to Daniel Lieberman (PhD) and Steven Robbins (MD) foot strike and footwear have been identified as predictors of the adverse reactions runners experience during running. That is, runners generate more impact when heel striking in cushioned footwear.
With that said, future research should focus on understanding the conditions that interfere with foot strike as well as perceptual responses, instead of emphasizing the ‘weakness of the human form’.
Likewise, researchers need to more adequately assess the degree to which footwear effects kinematics and biomechanics because the standard running shoe creates circumstances that prevents a runner from reaching their highest potential.
More From Run Forefoot:
- Studies on the Effects of Footwear on Running Form
- About the Author
- Perceptual Awareness Needed to Run with Less Impact
- Long Ground Contact Time: Big Problem for Heel Runners
- The Right Shoes for Forefoot Striking
Good ?V I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs as well as related information ended up being truly easy to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, web site theme . a tones way for your client to communicate. Excellent task..
I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your web site. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility issues? A couple of my blog readers have complained about my blog not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Opera. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue?
Great post. I am facing a couple of these problems.
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post…
Awsome website! I am loving it!! Will be back later to read some more. I am bookmarking your feeds also.
Usually I don’t read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice post.
I used to be very happy to seek out this net-site.I needed to thanks to your time for this excellent read!! I definitely having fun with every little little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you weblog post.
naturally like your website but you need to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very bothersome to inform the reality however I’ll certainly come again again.