Padded trainers not favoured for running
RUNNING shoes with padding on the heels and sole are worse for the feet than trainers with minimal cushioning, a study has found.
People are misguided if they think more padding means a lower risk of injury, sports scientists warn.
Humanity evolved to run barefoot – and scientists believe that shoes with minimal padding encourage a running style that has less impact on the joints.
The research found that those who run on the balls of their feet in shoes with minimal padding land more softly than those who use conventional trainers, regardless of running style.
A study of 29 runners who used trainers with conventional and minimal padding found that those in the latter shoes landed more softly, creating less impact.
Regular trainers did not reduce the load on the body even when running on the ball of the foot, the researchers found.
Lead researcher Dr Hannah Rice, of Exeter University, said: “Many people use running to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, but about three-quarters get injured in a year.
“Footwear is easily modifiable but many runners are misguided when it comes to buying new trainers.
“This research shows that running in minimal shoes and landing on the balls of your feet reduces loading rates and may reduce the risk of injury.
Modern-day runners in cushioned footwear tend to land on the heel – known as a “rearfoot strike” – while those who run barefoot are more likely to land on the ball of the foot, a “forefoot strike”. Rearfoot strike runners experience the force of an abrupt vertical impact each time the foot lands.This impact force is often missing when running with a forefoot strike, but previous research has shown that other forces can be higher with a forefoot strike, meaning the total force is similar.
Rice, whose research is reported in the journal Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise, said: “This seems to suggest that for runners in traditional cushioned running shoes, foot strike pattern may not matter for injury risk.
“However, we suspected that the same may not be true of runners who regularly use minimal shoes, which don’t have the cushioning provided by traditional running shoes.”Our research tells us that becoming accustomed to running with a forefoot strike in shoes that lack cushioning promotes a landing with the lowest loading rates, and this may be beneficial in reducing the risk of injury.” – Daily Mail