Wednesday 19 December 2012

Barefoot Running

Over the last few years a number of athletes have taken to training in Barefoot or Minimalist Training Shoes (BoMTS) weighing around 130g – 150g, however the large benefits claimed of running in BoMTS are still largely unproven.

The advantages claimed from running in BoMTS are that it strengthens athlete’s feet which will eventually stop them over pronating and that the athlete’s efficiency will be massively improved as they are forced to run on their forefeet.  Other claims are that it lowers the cost of buying trainers, as they last longer.

However recently a number of lawsuits have been brought against the main barefoot running shoe makers such as Vibran FiveFingers over deceptive and misleading health claims [1] and Skechers and Reebok who settled over claims that their shoes would work your body in ways no shoes ever had before [2].
The best report I have read on the positive and negative aspects of barefoot running was produced by the New York Times [3]. In the report a number of studies are looked into where it was found that around 10cm cushioning used 2% less energy to run at the same speed for the same distance, compared with running with no cushioning. It also states there was a metabolic cost to running barefoot, and there was a cost to having too much cushioning.



8 comments:

  1. I agree that it can be more work and/or slower than running in shoes, depending on the terrain. But it really has made a huge difference in injury prevention for me. I ran 103 miles last week barefoot and my legs still feel great (38 miles so far this week). I used to get severe leg pain from long runs and muscle injuries 3-4 times a year in shoes. I find it a lot of fun, too. Anyway, to each his own, nothing against those of us that run in shoes!

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  2. Obviously I can't speak for everyone, but for me personally, I've seen a massive reduction in the number of aches and pains I experienced during, and after a run since I converted to minimalist shoes (Vibrams). Knee, Hip, and Achilles pain along with numbness & pins and needles were are standard running niggles that I thought were just part of running.

    They have all been removed completely now since I changed over. Plus I've had my current Vibrams well over a year now, and I've done all my Ironman Training and the Race itself in them and they are still perfect. So I can't complain at all, I use to only get about 3 or 4 months out of a pair of Axis before I had them destroyed :-)

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  3. i used to severly overpronate when i ran to the point that it made me cringe when i had my gait analysed and shown to me on a computer. I was then convinced to start barefoot running and 6 months later i was completely neutral and i havent been injured in 4 years of running, the proof is in evolution, the human body cannot be improved. no one is born with shoes, we are designed to run thats why we stood up straight and come down from the trees.

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  4. I came from track and field and used to run on cushioned trainers until i injuried both ankles. Not a lot of miles, even thoug got injuried. Then i found the posetech site and began to run on the balls of the feet and guess what, injuries no more, it's been 6years injury free and now i'm running with my Vibram Five Fingers, he most awesome feeling ever.

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  5. Agree with the previous coments. Barefoot/minimal running has changed me forever and not once have I looked back. The only complaints I've ever had or even (personally) heard is "my calves were really sore," which is typical in the first 6 months to a year. But to that I say, guess what, your valve is a *muscle*, it is _supposed_ to get sore... and it will eventually heal and get stronger. Your knee is not a muscle, when your knees are sore that is _injury_... plain and simple.

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  6. I have actually heard lots of complaints about barefoot running. Blisters on feet, treading on sharp objects (this put someone I know out of running for 5 months). There are also a number of injuries runners can get when changing their stride pattern which happens when you run barefoot. It is also very difficult to run in a heel strike way in barefoot,the way most runners find comfortable to run.

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  7. As a response to the previous comment, the reason people heel strike is because on a conventional shoe there is a 24mm heel which is massive, changing your stride length will start to happen naturally and your spine and muscluar allignment is now natural in a barefoot shoe as the heel is no longer heightened. I fail to see how there can be any doubt as to the practicalities of barefoot runing when it's whole purpose is to replicate our 'natural' barefoot stance...and what is more natural than that?

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  8. That is actually completly wrong. A study in 2007 shows that 74.9% of runners naturally heel strike.

    The reason shoes were designed was to help us run on the changing landscape created by humans. If we all ran on soft grass then maybe your coments would be justified, but as we run on roads they're clearly not.

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