Is It OK To Heel Strike When Running?

Looking at the research, not just following Born to Run

While running is a simple sport — simple is not the same as easy — fads training programs and areas of focus are common.

After the release of the book Born to Run, barefoot running took center stage. While barefoot running can work for some people, it is hardly a universal superior running option.

But let’s say you want to run barefoot. Aside from needing to build up a tolerance, you need to run with a fore- or mid-foot strike pattern. You will destroy your heel with a heel strike sans the protection of a shoe.

Another reason for running with a mid- or forefoot strike is to increase running turnover or cadence. Heel striking slows you down. Try sprinting with a heel strike and see how well it works.

You can potentially run mid-distance — 800 or 1600 meters — with a heel strike, but it is rare among elite runners.

This begs the question — should all runners elect a fore- or mid-foot strike pattern?

Some shoes are designed with added cushioning to increase shock absorption. These are intended for heel strikers and they are effective. They come with a cost, however. Cushioning adds weight to the shoe, impacting performance and injury risk.

The performance influence pertains to the turnover rate. The injury influence pertains to impact forces, specifically the ground-reaction force. Here is where we reach a cross-road.

Cushioning reduces impact forces, but the impact forces are caused by heel-striking. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that fore- or mid-foot striking would be beneficial across the board? You can ditch the bulky shoe, increase your turnover rate, and reduce impact forces.

Relative to heel striking, forefoot striking reduces both the peak impact forces and the impact loading rates. Heel strikers can potentially even the playing field with a cushioned heel, but it comes with the consequences of…

Related posts:

It was only a few years back when Zerodha became the largest trading platform in the Indian markets. Last year was a watershed moment for the global financial markets with a new breed of investors…

most of the times I am afraid to be in the room for too long, so I ask my mom whether I can sleep with her tonight my childhood room has seen a lot of failures the time when I had to drop out from…