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Part of the propaganda and rhetoric from the fan boys is that when running you should "tread lightly' or "run softly" to reduce gourd reaction forces and all your running injuries go away. That is based on the fallacy that running injuries are actually related to the external ground reaction forces and not internal loads in the tissues.

Picked up this interesting tweet from Andy Franklyn-Miller:

 

It is both.

At body-ground contact the longitudinal compression wave of energy must be dealt with either by the body or the boot-shoe-orthotic.

Dr. Kirby has brought up a good point in the past though. How "softly" do marathoners run during miles 16-26.2? Does their foot strike pattern (body loading pattern and propulsion) change during the race and why?

Mahalo,
Steve

Tread Lightly when you Carry Big Sticks...

 

Dear Craig
can you explain your statement so I can understand the idea that internal forces are to blame.
In rehab we get the athletes to train in sand and grass so as to reduce the ground reaction forces and thus internal forces on their tissues.

It has worked for me for 30+ years, but there again.

Been hailing here dark but not cold
regards
paul Conneely
www.musmed.com.au

 

There is no compelling evidence linking ground reaction forces/impact loads to injury (one study even showed less injury in those with higher impacts).

Running in sand and on grass does more than than reduce impacts and alters a whole gambit of kinematics and kinetics; eg running in sand increases cadence --> that decreases knee loads

 

Always seemed to me that the reduction in injury is related to the surface variability of grass or other natural surfaces far more than impact reduction.

Howard

 

Umm... so what was the reasoning behind that so-called "minimalist" trend... & now the subsequent "maximalist" trend again??? Why one started in the first place & is now dropping off (minimalism), whilst the other is apparently gaining momentum (maximalism). The pendulum is swinging. (I suppose we better leave that heel to forefoot pitch issue out of the discussion/equation).

Then there was this research cited in another thread... Increased Vertical Impact Forces and Altered Running Mechanics with Softer Midsole Shoes...

Increased Vertical Impact Forces and Altered Running Mechanics with Softer Midsole Shoes:
Jennifer Batlich , Christian Maurer, Benno M. Nigg
PlusONe April 21, 2015

The above findings remind me of that "cost of cushioning" hypothesis... i.e....
A test of the metabolic cost of cushioning hypothesis during unshod and shod running:
Tung KD1, Franz JR, Kram R.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014 Feb;46(2):324-9.

Then there is this thread (amongst other maximalist related threads i.e. the Hoka OneOne variety) : Will the Maximalist Running Shoe Trend Endure?... & it's accompanying viewpoints within to consider...

But if all else fails... test it for yourself... go for a run today... & try & run "softly" (preferably on the road/foot path)... yes there are other factors/forces at play here (hint: if you don't experience muscle soreness during or shortly afterwards, you may have DOMS in the days to follow)... particularly the less conditioned you are. Conditioning, adaptation; conditioning, adaptation... but then there is the issue of metabolic efficiency/cost to be mindful of for those runners who want to get from the starting line to the finishing line as quickly as possible (i.e. muscle fatigue Vs. weight/mass).

 

There is no doubt that minimalist/maximalist shoes alter the impact loads. They also alter other kinetic and kinematic variables. if there are differences in injury rates, then was that due to impact differences or was that due to the differences in other variables.

Here is my summary of the evidence on the relationships of impacts= variables to injury:

http://www.runresearchjunkie.com/ju...-heel-impacts-at-causing-injury-when-running/

 

Thanks Craig for that list/summary... interesting.

 

Complicating this idea that runners should "run softly" is the research that shows that increased running velocity will naturally increase the magnitude of ground reaction force. Sure, it's easy to run "softly" if you are running a 10 minute mile, but just try running "softly" doing a 5 minute mile. Runners always hit the ground harder the faster they run.

Nigg BM, Bahlsen HA, Luethi SM, Stokes S: The influence of running velocity and midsole hardness on external impact forces in heel-toe running. J Biomech, 20:951-959, 1987.

Weyand PG, Sternlight DB et al: Faster top running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces not more rapid leg movements. J Appl Physiol, 89:1991-1999, 2000.

 

Yes, many a runner's toenails can vouch for this. My nails would only get bruised during my speedier workouts i.e. 1km, 2km reps, time trials & races :hammer:. Always seem fine during the lighter/slower workouts. (Of course, shoe fit & last in relation to the foot is partly to blame as well)

Then again, the above factors are relative in relation to other issues... to the runner's i.e. ability e.g. slower runners will still potentially suffer from those potential adverse forces running at their faster pace (which could be a lot slower than 5 min per mile) - which would be an elite's jogging speed; then there is one's biomechanics, body weight, foot attire potentially playing a role.

 

Aloha Craig,

Would this research cross apply to combat troops "running" with combat packs almost at their body weights?

Would this research cross apply to robotics that utilize bipedal walking-running gait systems?

We really have not proven much when applied to the human condition because it is so difficult to test and verify. But that does not mean we should quit trying to find the paths to pathology and the roads to recovery.

Mahalo and Happy Monday-Tuesday,
Steve