‘Bouncy’ trainers raise injury risk

HEAVILY cushioned trainers may increase the chance of injury when jogging, say researchers at Oregon State University in the U.S.

In tests on female runners, they compared the pressure exerted on the feet and their range of motion when wearing ‘maximal’ (well-cushioned) running shoes and neutral running shoes ( with less cushioning and support).

They noted greater impact and an increased speed at which force was exerted on the feet — factors associated with greater injury risk — in the cushioned shoes.

The researchers suspect the cushioning causes runners to rely more on the bounce of the shoe than on the flex of the tendons and muscles in their foot to absorb impact.