Should I run on my toes? Forefoot running vs heel strike

Forefoot running refers to runners that have the ball of the foot as the first point of contact on the ground. This term is relatively synonymous with toe ... Skiptocontent 62624464    home FacebookYoutubeInstagram Overthelastseveralyearstherehasbeenaconsiderablepushtowardsforefootrunningorthe“barefootrunning”technique.Inthisarticlewe’llrefertoitasforefootstrikevsheelstrike.AmongmyclienteleofdevoutrunnersIhaveseenmultipleinjuriesrelatedtoattemptingtoconverttominimalistshoes.Iwouldoftenaskwhytheywantedtobecomeforefootrunnerssuddenlyinsteadofstickingtotheirnaturalrunningpattern.Theresponseissomethinglike,“becauseit’sbetterisn’tit?”. So,isitbetter?Let’slookattheevidence. NowwhenIsayevidence,we’retalkingaboutpublishedarticlesinscientificjournals.Not frommyneighbor,whorunsalot andtoldmetorunthiswaybecauseithasreallyhelpedhis5kmparkruntime.Howevertheevidenceonlygoessofar.Wewillhavetomakesomejudgement ofourownuntilfurtherstudiesareperformed. Sowhatisforefootrunningorforefootstrike? Forefootrunningrefersto runnersthathave theballofthefoot  asthe firstpointofcontactontheground.Thisterm isrelativelysynonymouswithtoerunning. Idon’tnecessarilylikethattermaswetechnicallydon’trunonourtoes–werunontheballsofourfeet.Inforefootrunningtheheelshouldstayoffthegroundthroughtheentirephaseofcontact.Heelstrikingrunnersorrearfootstrikingrunnersmakeinitialcontactwiththegroundwiththeirheelthenshouldproceedforwardontotheirforefootastheypushoff. Thentherearemidfootstrikers.Theyareaconfusedbunchastheycan’tdecidewhethertolandontheheelorforefootandwillmixuphowmuchofaheelstriketheyhavedependingonterrain,runningspeedandshoetype.Forthesakeofsomegoodscientificdiscussionwearegoingtoignorethembecausetechnicallytheycansitinbothgroupsdependingontheirstridepatternatthetime. Therecentevolutionofforefootrunning   Forefootrunninghasbecomeverypopularrecentlyforseveral reasons.Manyof theseareanecdotalratherthanscientific.OneofthemaincontributingfactorswasaverypopularbookcalledBorntoRunbyChristopherMcDougall.AtthispointIshoulddisclosethatIhaven’treadthisbookduetomydislikeofhavingtositstillformorethan30minsatatime.HavingsaidthatIamnotmakingmyopinionsbasedonwhatiswritteninthebook,justonscientificevidenceavailabletome. Aroundthetimethatforefootrunningbecamepopulartherewasalsosomeverystrongmarketingbysomeoftheshoecompaniestowardsminimalistshoes.Thisprobablyfurtherperpetuatedthehype.Notthatitwasallbadassomedifferentshoetypesandtechnologieshavebeendevelopedasaresult.     Solet’slookattheMyths surroundingforefootrunning… Myth1: Barefootrunningismorenatural Thehumanraceevolvedwithoutshoes.Thiskindofmakessensedoesn’tit?Whygoawayfrommillionsofyearsofevolutionbychangingourbiomechanicsofrunningtosuitthehabitthatwehavegrownupwithsuchaswearingashoe.Surelywewouldbebetteroffrunningwithoutshoes? Oratleastrunning inthesamemannerasifweweren’twearingashoe? Doesitstackup? Thereareafewissueswiththistheory.Thefirstbeingthatwedidn’tevolveovermillionsofyearswithconcrete.SadlythisiswhereIdothevastmajorityofmyrunningduetoconvenienceratherthanchoice.Mostfunrunsandracesare alsoheldonconcrete,roadsorotherunforgivingsurfaces. Also,dowereallyrunwiththesametechniquebarefootedaswedoforefootrunningwithshoeson?Wellastudyin2013showedthatin22highlytrainedathletesbarefootrunninghaddifferentkinematics(ietechnique) wheninaminimalistshoe,aracingflatandaregularrunningshoe. Funnilyenoughtheathletesusedthesamekinematicsforallthe3shoes.This showedthattheirrunningtechniquedidn’tchangedependingonthetypeofshoebutdidchangeiftheywerebarefooted. MythBusted? So,runninginaminimalistshoeisn’tnecessarilythesameasrunningbarefooted.Themaindifferenceswereseenintheamountofworkbeingperformedbythekneeandanklejoints.Withbarefootrunningmorepressurewasplacedontheanklewhereasrunningwithanytypeoffootwearresultedinmoreworkdoneatthekneejoint.Havingsaidthat,thiswasastudyonhighlytrainedathleteswhereobviouslytheyhaveaverywellpracticedrunningtechnique.   Myth2:Forefootstrike meansyourunfaster Itis obviousthatmosteliterunnersdon’theelstrike.Butdidtheybecomeelitebecausetheyweregoodforefootstrikers.Orwasthisabyproduct?Inanotherstudy lookingatrunningbiomechanicsparticipantswereaskedtorunatvaryingspeedsonatreadmillrangingfrom9km/hto15km/h.Stepfrequency,mechanicalworkandoxygenconsumptionwereallmeasuredandcomparedbetweentheforefootstrikinggroupandrearfootstrikinggroup. Whatdoestheresearchsay? Itwasobservedthatinbothgroupsasthespeedofthetreadmillincreasedthedistancethattherunner’sfootwasincontactwiththegroundstartedtoplateau.Thiswasmainlyduetoanatomicalrestraintsthatthebodyhasplacedonitsuchastotalavailablehipextension. Consequentlyrunnersspendlesstimeincontactwiththegroundastheirrunningspeedincreases.Orinotherwordswhilstrunningathigherspeedsyouspendagreaterrelativedistanceintheair.Itwasconcludedthatforefootstrikingwasanecessityratherthanachoiceformiddledistancerunnersandsprinters.Thisallowedthemtorunatgreaterspeedsbiomechanically. MythBusted? Soinconclusionyes,ifyouwanttorunreallyfastyouwillhavetogetuponyourtoes.Butdoingsowon’tnecessarilymakeyouintoaneliterunner.Essentiallyifyouaretrainingtobeasprinterorfastmiddledistancerunnerthenyoushouldbeforefootstriking,otherwiseyourmaximumspeedwillbecompromised.Fortherestofusfolksploddingalong,thereisnoevidencetosuggestthatheelstrikingismakingusslower.   Myth3:Isn’tforefootstrikemoreefficient? RunningefficiencyishowmuchenergyyouusetogetfrompointAtopointB.Obviouslythemoreefficientlyyoudoitthelessenergyisconsumed.Wecanmeasurethisasanoxygencosttothebody. Runninguphillorathigherspeeds comesat agreateroxygencost. Veryfit runnerscanmetaboliselotsofoxygenatanypointintime. Consequentlythey cancoverthesamedistancefaster.Ifyouarelessfityouwillneedtoslowdownasyouroxygenburningcapacitymaynotbeasstrong.Butifyoucoulduselessenergy(iebecomemoreefficient)thenthatwouldmeanadecreaseinoxygenconsumptionandyoucouldrunfasterforfree! Doesitstackup? Ifwelookatoxygenconsumptioninthesamestudyasabove therewasnodifferenceatthevariousspeedsbetweenheelstrikingandforefootrunning.Fromascientificperspectiveheelstrikingorforefootstrikingshouldn’tmakeyouanyfasterorsloweroveralongrun. Let’stakeitonestepfurther.Whatifyoudecideyouwantedtoswitchfromforefoottoheelstrikingorviceversa?Well,anotherstudy lookedat8runnerswhonormallyrearfootstrikeand8thatforefootstrike.Theyanalysedthebiomechanicsofwhenarunnerwasforcedtodotheopposite.Thisstudyalsoconcludedthattherewasnomechanicaladvantageinswitchingfromrearfootstrikingtoforefootstriking.Itisbackedupbyasimilarstudy basingtheirresultsonoxygenconsumptionratherthanbiomechanicaldata.Switchingfromforefootstrikingtorearfootstrikingseemedtonotmakeanyconsiderablechangetooverallefficiency. MythBusted? Oneinterestingpointwasthattheoverallworkperformedie:pureenergyoutput,washigherintheforefootstrikersingeneral.Thisonthesurfaceseemstosuggestthatforefootrunningislessefficientfromanenergyperspective.ThereasonittookmorepureenergytogetfrompointAtopointBforefootstrikingwasthattherewasmorerelative“upanddownmotion”occurringthanintheheelstrikers. Thisisquiteobvioustothenakedeyeatslowspeedswhenyougetthe2runnerssidebyside.Arearfootstriker”shuffles”forwardswhiletheforefootstriker“bounces”upanddown.Howeverasdiscussedabovetheoxygencostswerethesame.Itisproposedthattheforefootstrikersmakeuptheleftoverenergythattheoxygenisn’taccountingforbygettingarubberbandlikerecoileffectfromthecalfmuscleandachillesthatdoesn’toccuras stronglyintherearfootstrikers. Toconfusethingsfurther,thisstudyshowedthatrunningwithshoeswaslessefficientthanbarefootrunning. Thiswas purelyduetothemassoftheshoe.Howeverasdiscussed above,runningwithanyshoe(evenaminimalistshoe) isn’tthesameasrunningbarefooted. Asdiscussedabove,therewaslittlechangeinoxygenconsumptionbetweenthe2runningtechniques.Whataboutfuelconsumption?Doesonetypeofrunningburnlesscarbohydrateandlenditselftolongerdistances?Theshortanswerisnoasfoundinthisstudy.Howeverthisstudydidtentativelysuggestthatslightlylesscarbohydrateisusedwhenrunningwitharearfootpatternatslowspeedscomparedwithforefootrunning. Thisoccurred onlyforthoserunnersthathadalwaysbeenrearfootrunners. Myth4:Forefootrunnershavelessinjuries Thisisprobablythemostinterestingdifferencebetweenrearfootstrikingandforefootstriking. Whatdoestheresearchsay? Inoneofthestudieswelookedatpreviously therewasquiteachangebetweenwheretheforefootstrikersandrearfootstrikersplacedtheirmaximalload.Unsurprisinglytheforefootstrikersweredoingalargeamountofworkattheanklejoint. Consequently this placeshigherloadsonthecalfandachillesmusculature. Therearfootstrikersweredoingarelativelylargeramountofworkatthekneejoint. Theresultantbiomechanicsplacessmorestressonthequadricepsandpatellartendoncomplex. MythBusted? Sinceaforefootstrikerplacesmorestrainthroughtheachilles,someonesufferingachillestendinosismaybenefitfrom spendingsometimeheelstriking wheninitially returningtorunning.Thiscan decreasetheoverallloadontheachilles.Asimilarrationalecouldbeusedforkneepainsufferers. Theymaygetsomerelieffromrunningwithaforefootstrikingpattern.Havingsaidthat,seriouscareneedstobetakennottoreplaceoneinjurywithanotherinjurybychangingrunningtechnique.Ifyoudodecidetochangetechnique,doitslowlywithgradualprogressionsoverseveralmonths! Thereisanother studywhichshowedthatforefootstrikingwaslesslikelyovertimetocauseaninjurytoanathletethanaheelstrikingpattern.HoweverthiswasafairlynarrowdemographicofrelativelyhighlevelathletesatcollegeinUSA.Thisisalsonotallthatsurprisingconsideringthattheyshouldberunningatspeedswhereforefootstrikingbecomesobligatory. Soto answeryourburningquestions: Isitfastertorunonmytoes? No,notforlongerdistancesatslowtomoderatespeeds.Butitdoeslookpretty.Whenrunningfasteritbecomesverydifficulttoheelstrike. Willrunningonmytoesmakemefaster? No.Neithertechniquewillmakeyoufasteroverlongdistances.However whenabovecertainspeedsitbecomesdifficulttoheelstrikeduetothelimitationsofthebody. Isitmoreefficienttorunonmyheelsortoes? Neither.Technicallyitismoreefficienttorunthewayyouhavepracticedrunningalltheseyears. AmIlesslikelytogetinjuredbyforefootstriking? Onlyifyouareahighlevelathleterunningathighspeed.Anecdotally,themostinjuriesIseerelatedtoheelstrikingorforefootstrikingiswhensomeonedecidestochangefromonetotheotheroverashortperiodoftimeandendsupwithachillestendonitisorpatellofemoralpain.Thisisbackedupbytheevidencethatshowsthedifferentbiomechanicalloadingbetweenbothtechniques. ShouldIchangefromheelstriketoforefootstrikeorviceversa? Onlyifyouhavearecurrentinjurythatisdirectlyrelatedtoyourrunningtechnique.   Happyrunning! WecurrentlyhaveaspecialFree10minuteassessmentor$20offourfullrunningassessments.Youcanreadaboutourlocal,ultra-runningstar,Kelly-AnnVareyandherrunningassessmentwithSimon.   PostedinPhysiotherapy,RunningAssessments,RunningInjuries,SportsPhysiotherapy ←Valentine’sDay–MassageGiftVouchersAvailableSittingTooMuch?7Quick&EasyDeskStretchesForOfficeWorkers→ AboutSimonDavis SimongraduatedfromSydneyUniversitywithaBachelorofAppliedScience(Physiotherapy)in2007.HespentseveralyearsworkingonthefarsouthcoastofNSWinboththehospitalandprivatesettingwhilstalsoenjoyingseasonalphysiotherapyworkatJindabynetreatingskiinjuriesduringthesnowseason. ViewallpostsbySimonDavis→ Lookingforsomething? RecentPosts StretchesforGardeners:8beststretchestokeepyoupruningforlonger! 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