The latest findings from a study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal found that running with less cushioning on your feet may actually help reduce injury rates.
For their study, researchers tracked the running habits of 29 frequent runners. Some of the runners wore a minimalist-style shoe, while others wore a standard running shoe. Researchers tracked their foot-strike patterns, loading rates and other foot biomechanics.
After analyzing the data, researchers found that runners in the minimalist-style shoes tended to land on the balls of their feet in a forefoot-strike pattern, compared to those in the regular running shoe group, who tended to land with a heel-strike pattern. That finding in and of itself did not show anything significant, but researchers also noted that the loading rates – the force acted upon a runner’s foot when it strikes the ground – was much lower in forefoot-strike runners, and loading rates are typically a good indicator of injury risk. The more force you strike the ground with, the higher the likelihood you’ll overstress and strain your feet.
“The loading rate is a useful measure, as it tells us how fast the forces are acting, and higher values have been associated with running injury,” said lead researcher Dr. Hannah Rice. “Our paper found that running in shoes that have no cushioning and landing on the ball of your foot may reduce the risk of injury in runners.”
Rice added that many people use running as a way to stay in shape, but when done incorrectly, they can actually end up worse off.
“So many people use running as a means of reducing the risk of chronic diseases, but about three-quarters of runners typically get injured in a year,” said Dr. Rice. “Footwear is easily modifiable, but many runners are misguided when it comes to buying new trainers. This research shows that running in minimal shoes and landing on the balls of your feet reduces loading rates and may therefore reduce the risk of injury.”
Strike Patterns
According to the data, heel-strike runners experience an abrupt vertical impact force each time their foot hits the ground. Forefoot-strike runners don’t feel this stress; instead they have greater forward/backward and sideways forces than heel-strike runners. So while the total forces may be the same, where and how they are expressed are different depending on your strike pattern, and that can impact injury rates.
“Our research tells us that becoming accustomed to running with a forefoot strike in shoes that lack cushioning promotes a landing with the lowest loading rates, and this may be beneficial in reducing the risk of injury,” researchers wrote.
However, as we caution on any blog that involves a new technique, if you plan on making the switch to a new shoe or running style, make sure the transition is gradual so your feet aren’t overworked in the beginning.
