By Dave Williams
The debate on running style is not a new one. But, popular media has jumped on board over the past few years and has caused more confusion than actual good advice. In fact, much of the information being reported is based on a study called “Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear” by Daniel Lieberman, which the author himself admits has been erroneously reported in the media. In the study, Lieberman, a professor in the Department Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, and his colleagues examined impact forces of different runners, both with and without shoes and looked at the differences between heel striking, mid-foot or forefoot striking.
While we agree that everyone should be diligent about their technique and that there is a place for lightweight shoes and barefoot running, everyone has different body types, muscle balances, backgrounds, etc. that have to be considered first. Even more importantly, you should know that there are many good runners who are heel strikers. The BIG difference is that they strike with the foot on the way back in the stride and under the center of mass. It is commonly accepted that the foot landing out in front of the center of mass creates a braking affect in the run stride and this braking affect is what adversely affects economy and leads to injury.
As a coach, the biggest problem I see is that there is a very large percentage of people who try to change their stride to a more forward style and end up injured. I even know an elite runner who taped a running video along these lines and ended up with stress fractures! There is some evidence that changing the place of impact does improve the impact forces on some parts of the leg, but at the expense of increasing it in other areas.
Remember that even Lieberman, himself, issued a disclaimer with the publication of this research: “Please note that we present no data or opinions on how people should run, whether shoes cause some injuries, or whether barefoot running causes other kinds of injuries. We believe there is a strong need for controlled, prospective studies on these problems.”
# # #
Dave Williams holds a masters degree in Exercise Physiology from UNC and is the owner of Triangle Multisport coaching. He qualified and competed in the 2003 Hawaii Ironman World Championship and was a member of Team USA at the Olympic Distance Triathlon World Championships from 2003 – 2005 and 2007 – 2009.
