Does Barefoot Running Cause or Prevent Injury?

I just got back the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Conference in the beautiful city of Denver. It was held in conjunction with the Exercise is Medicine meeting so you can imagine how much great information was packed in over the almost full week of lectures, symposiums, forums, etc.

One of the lectures that I found quite timely and informative was that on the differences between barefoot running, minimalist shoes and shod (that mean shoes for most of us). The research presented some fairly compelling evidence against those who are shod heel strikers.

The forces transmitted up the kinetic chain were shown to be significantly greater tin heel strikers compared to those who were forefoot or mid foot strikers. 75% of runners are heel strikers which creates a very high magnitude of force – 1.5-2x body weight.  Shoes make this heel striking pattern more comfortable and can slow the rate of loading.  Wearing shoes actually encourages you to heel strike.  Shoes also tend to be easier on calf muscles – they don’t have to work as hard.

Research by Dr. Daniel Lieberman has shown that 75% of habitual barefoot runners forefoot strike; 12% midfoot;12% heel strike.  He points out that there are variations in striking patterns.

Forefoot striking tends to encourage a softer, more gentle landing.  The same impact peak that appears on a force plate with shod running is significantly reduced to almost non-existent barefoot running.

Barefoot running forces you to run lightly and gently because where there is no collisional impact.  That all sounds great but does that mean that we should all kick off our shoes?  Of course not – you obviously can still have injury if not done correctly and so far, there are many unanswered questions.

We don’t yet know the impact of barefoot running on injury.  30-70% of habitually shod runners are injured per year.  There is no current evidence for decline over past 30 yrs despite all the really cool shoe features that keep coming out.

There is also no current evidence that says barefoot running decreases injury yet though either.  We don’t yet know: Are they running with proper technique? Are they getting injured at higher rates than shod runners?  More questions will be coming.

Although I certainly would never call myself a runner,  I did get a pair of what I affectionately call  ”fingerfeet” for my birthday and found them surprising quite comfortable (once I found out how to get the on!).  You definitely don’t feel like you want to heel strike in a minimalist shoe or barefoot as it is does not feel good at all.  Those who do, or try to go into barefoot or minimalist shoe running too quickly are more likely to pay the price.

The verdict is still out and up for debate as more research comes out – and it will!   If you are going to discuss it with your patients/clients, suggest to them that following a gradual training progression would be much to their favor – even if they are experienced runners.  As we know, many injuries occur from improper training.  So far, I haven’t seen too many injuries in my clinic as a result, but I don’t think that it is quite as popular yet in my area.

Here are a few tips you can suggest to your patients or clients:

• Start slowly – follow a transitioning program
• Pick smooth paved surfaces
• Good barefoot landing should feel gentle, relaxed
• Don’t point your toes too much – this will over work the calf muscles
• Land as soft and quiet as possible, keeping your center of mass as low as possible
• Do not over stride
• Listen to pain
• Cut mileage or number of days that you are running
• Slowly wean orthotics and/or shoewear down
• Do stretching, strengthening, balance/stability exercise

If nothing else, I think the ‘Fingerfeet’ are just darn cute!

What have your experiences been with barefoot running for you or your clients?

This Weeks Health Bytes

• Today’s Heatlh Tip: 5 tips to losing 5 pounds by summer http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43101327/ns/today-today_health/

• Anti-inflammatory pain killers are known to increase heart risks, and new findings from more than 83,000 people suggest that even a couple of days of treatment can be dangerous in people with a history of heart problems.  Read more:   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43083991/ns/health-heart_health/

• McDonald’s Stockholders reject obesity proposal OAK BROOK, Illinois (Reuters) – McDonald’s Corp spurned calls to assess the impact of its food on childhood obesity, and said its trademark clown Ronald McDonald would be hawking Happy Meals to kids for years to come……….Read more: http://www.reuters.com/news/health

• Foods with benefiits, or so they say Labels proclaiming health benefits of foods almost shout out in the aisles of supermarkets. But shoppers, and regulators, have their hands full trying to sort it all out……Read more http://www.nytimes.com/pages/health/nutrition/index.html

• CDC Links Obesity, Arthritis, and Lack of Exercise Obese adults with arthritis are 44% more likely to be physically inactive than obese people who do not suffer from the painful disease that causes inflammation and stiffness of the joints, the CDC says in a new report…….Read more  http://arthritis.webmd.com/news/20110519/cdc-links-obesity-arthritis-and-lack-of-exercise

“When is the BEST time to workout?”  A commonly asked question indeed.

Well, in reality, the best time truly is whenever you are actually going to do it.

Look, some people love to get their training in first thing in the morning.

Some love to go during their lunch hour.

And, of course, many people just wait until after work.

Hey, with some many people completely out of shape and unhealthy  give yourself huge credit whatever time you go and workout, so long as you actually go!

But many people are confused as to what and when they are supposed to eat based on when they get their workout in.

And they are also baffled as to when they should take their supplements.

You’re in luck if you’re one of the confused! My partners over at Prograde Nutrition have created this really simple chart that shows you examples of what you can eat and when, and it’s all based on what time of day you workout.

Plus, it also shows good times to fit in your supplements for optimal results.

Even better is that they made a version for men and a version for women.

Check out the female version here: http://healthpath.getprograde.com/how-to-use-prograde-products-female.html

OR

Check out the male version here: http://healthpath.getprograde.com/how-to-use-prograde-products-male.html

Yours in health,

Christine

PS – And don’t forget, Prograde has their BRAND NEW Branched Chain Amino Acids at 17% off this week ONLY. Stock up on those now at:

http://healthpath.getprograde.com/branched-chain-amino-acids.html

I just got back from a free beginners tennis clinic; WOW, do I love free things! Not because I’m cheap (frugal is the word I prefer!) but I love to learn and am very appreciative to those who are willing to share.

I must say that in the past, I have had huge amounts of anxiety to go and do things like that by myself, but I have worked very hard over the years to force myself to do it and…………..guess what………..now it’s much easier and not so scary. [lesson learned #1]

Anyway, as I was looking around and “sizing up my competition”, I observed that there was quite a mix of people there – tall, short, overweight, thin, very fit looking, non-fit looking, various ages, different races, and different experience levels even though we were all “beginners”.  Of course, I am worried about how I am going to do when it’s my turn during the drills, but as I took my turn and then observed others as they took theirs, I became less concerned with how well I was doing (or not) and just noticed everyone’s different styles and abilities, how we cheered each other on or complimented a good shot. OK, so it’s not all about me, again! [lesson learned #2]

Exercise or making a choice to be more active is not discriminatory.  It doesn’t care how old, what race, what experience level, how tall or short you are.  Just take the first step and start – something, anything!. [lesson learned #3]

Although I have played a little tennis before, I have been reluctant to join a league.  This is the next best thing since it is all about people who want to learn and not necessarily cut my head off at the net, have fun and just play.  It doesn’t have to be stressful [lesson learned #4]

Always look out for opportunities in your community for activities that you may have an interest in.  Even if it’s a small interest or just curiosity.  Seek them out – they are probably there somewhere.    Who knows, you might just like it……….meet some new people……win at Wimbledon (OK, I’ll stop now).[lesson learned #5]

It’s National Walk Day – time to get movin’! National Walk Day is sponsored by the American Heart Association to encourage everyone to start walking – one of the easiest healthful things you can do. Why? Heart disease is the country’s No. 1 killer. Walking, exercising, or increasing your activity level by as little as 30 minutes a day can significantly reduce your risk by up to 30%! Simple, huh? Look at some of the benefits that you’ll receive from starting a walking program:
– Reduce your risk of heart disease
– Improve blood pressure
– Improve blood sugar
– Improve cholesterol/lipid profile
– Enhance your mental well-being
– Reduce your risk of osteoporosis
– Reduce your risk of breast & colon cancer

Wow, that’s alot of good stuff! What are you waiting for? Lace up and get out.
If you need some guidance & motivation, check out Prevention’s Complete Book of Walking:

Last night, the West Virginia University (WVU) Mountaineers and the University of Kentucky (UK) Wildcats squared off to see who will move on to the Final Four of the NCAA Championship. This presented a very difficult choice for me – do I choose WVU , having been born and “raised” in West Virginia; or do I pick UK – the team from where I have lived for the past 10 yrs, and the reason I have become more of a basketball watcher to begin with? UK has been so exciting to watch this year – flashy players with jaw-dropping moves……….so appealing. West Virginia – the powerful, defensive workhorse -not quite as flashy and much less hype than UK.

All of this made me think of the challenges that we face when making decisions for our own health. Do you choose the luscious-looking food loaded with fat and calories or the less attractive “workhorse” food that is better for you? Do you choose the processed foods over “real” food? Do you choose inactivity over activity?

Well -WVU won. How did they beat the Wildcats? They had a plan, a strategy that worked for them; if it stopped working, they changed it. They were committed to winning and made it happen.

-WHAT STRATEGIES OR PLANS DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE BETTER HEALTH CHOICES?
-ARE YOU COMMITTED TO WINNING WITH REGARDS TO YOUR HEALTH?
-ARE YOU WILLING TO CHANGE YOUR GAME PLAN IF IT’S NOT WORKING
or GET BACK ON TRACK WITH THOSE THAT WORKED IN THE PAST?

By the way, good food doesn’t have to be ugly,unappealing, taste bad, or be complicated. Check out Jamie Oliver’s new book.
Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals