Does Foot Strike Matter When Running? YES!
Research on impact mechanics have shown over and over again that there’s too many negative aspects to heel strike running than positive.
Heel Strike
Does Heel Striking Cause Shin Splints?
One reason heel striking causes shin splints is because landing heel-first prevents the ankles from absorbing impact by causing the ankle to be unusually stiff at heel strike. The ankle stiffness was found to amplify the ground reaction force on the shins as compared with forefoot running.
Is Heel Striking Bad Form in Running?
The specific impacts and physical stressors in heel strike running are the single biggest contributors to most injuries, especially severe injuries as compared to forefoot running, which is well on record for preventing all the injuries caused by heel strike running.
Does Foot Strike Matter When Running?
In running, foot strike does matter because mounting research shows that how you land on your foot directly affects your knee joint mechanics which was found to have an enormous influence on impact production.
Is Heel Strike Running Bad for the Achilles Tendon?
Heel strike running was found to increase the risk for an Achilles injury by causing excessive heel motions that increases bending strain and rotational stress on the tendon as compared with forefoot running.