NYT: Does Foot Form Explain Running Injuries?

[ZenLefty]

Does Foot Form Explain Running Injuries?

All of the Harvard runners wore shoes, and most, as Dr. Lieberman says, “wore different shoes every day of the week.” Some ran in well-cushioned shoes and became injured, while others did not. Likewise for those who usually ran in minimal racing flats. Some got hurt; some did not. And forefoot striking, over all, was not a panacea. Many of the forefoot strikers were felled by injuries.

But in general, those runners who landed on their heels were considerably more likely to get hurt, often multiple times during a year.

Not a huge study and hardly surprising results. I know that I make an effort not to heel strike; I have strong calves and it feels better to land and launch from the ball of my foot. Heel striking puts all the load on my knees and hip joints, which feels about as good as a sledgehammer driving a 1/2" rebar into my femur. I don't run frequently, but since I started making that effort I have been largely injury and pain free from running.

[eShirl]

1. interesting

I'm not a runner, and never really thought about it before, but it makes sense. I remember as a kid, the least painful way to run barefoot down a gravel driveway was that "forefoot striking" way.