If you’re an experienced runner, you’re aware that numerous factors influence your performance. While you may be focused on your form, the placement of your feet determines a lot of your running. Foot strike has gotten a lot of attention recently, and for good reason: it has a big impact on your runs. In that situation, it’s best to look into how pros go about doing it.
Professional faster runners are more likely to land on their midfoot in shorter events. Most professional runners strike their heels first while running longer distances than a mile. When they run slow and long, good runners also tend to heel strike.
Forefoot Running or Forefoot Strike?
Running with the ball of the foot as the initial point of contact on the ground is known as forefoot running. Although we don’t run on our toes, we do run on the balls of our feet, this term is sometimes used interchangeably with toe running.
During forefoot running, the heel should remain off the ground throughout the contact period. Heel strikers or rearfoot strikers establish initial contact with the ground with their heel, then push off with their forefoot.
Forefoot running is defined as running with the ball of the foot making first contact with the ground. The forefoot of heel strikers or rearfoot strikers makes the first touch with the ground. Jogging on your forefoot has been linked to a lower risk of injury while running.
When compared to heel striking, proponents of forefoot running believe that this technique increases forward motion and reduces knee stress. Indeed, some data suggest that forefoot running is linked to a lower incidence of running-related injuries. Running on your toes, though, can lead to bouncing, which is wasteful. Furthermore, some studies suggest that using this technique may result in repetitive stress injuries to the foot.
It’s worth remembering that running shoes used to have a higher heel-to-toe drop to help direct the foot into striking the midfoot. However, with the rise of minimalist and low heel-to-toe drop shoes, this style is no longer the norm.
Midfoot Strike
The midfoot strike landing pattern places the foot’s mid-sole in contact with the ground. Midfoot running proponents claim that the technique aids with shock absorption and reduces joint impact. Midfoot running, as opposed to heel striking, reduces the amount of time the foot is in contact with the ground, potentially speeding up the pace.
The mid-sole of the foot makes contact with the ground in a midfoot strike landing pattern. The approach, according to proponents, helps with shock absorption and decreases joint impact. Running on the midfoot isn’t for everyone, and some runners may find it awkward and uncomfortable.
However, this method isn’t for everyone, and some runners may find it uncomfortable and unnatural. According to some studies, both midfoot and forefoot running can increase the risk of ankle, foot, and Achilles tendon problems.
Heels Striking
The heel striking technique is exactly what it sounds like: the heel strikes the ground first, then the mid-sole, and last the toes. When opposed to forefoot or midfoot running, most runners adopt a rearfoot strike because it feels more natural. The calf muscles and ankles are also stretched and strengthened by heel striking.
Landing on your heels might create shin splints since your lower legs are put under more tension. The majority of the force is absorbed by the ankles and knees, which is why wearing the correct footwear for a natural heel striking technique is so important.
However, hitting with the back foot makes certain runners more prone to overstriding, which can cause knee and hip pain or damage. The majority of the force is absorbed by the ankles and knees, which is why it’s critical to wear the proper footwear. Shin splints can be caused by landing on your heels since it puts additional stress on your lower legs.
Running on Heels vs on Toes
The question of whether heel or toe running is preferable is still a point of contention among runners. Most health professionals, on the other hand, hold a more balanced viewpoint. If you can run without discomfort or injury regularly, your running style is probably the greatest for your body, and there’s no reason to modify it.
Your running style is the best for your body if you can run without discomfort or injury regularly. Professional and injured runners may need to change their running techniques. Toe running, like heel running, has a disadvantage for every benefit, according to scientists.
Professional runners and injured runners, on the other hand, may need to evaluate and adapt their running methods to meet their goals, manage present injuries, and avoid future problems. Because heel running was once the only way to run, all shoes were made with a heel drop (basically the shoe is highest at the heel and sloped downwards towards the toes.)
However, “toe running” became fashionable in 2010, and a heel drop is still a customizable option at the shoe store. Many shoes today are touted as having a “zero drop” or a neutral heel drop, which wasn’t the case a few decades ago. Everyone seemed to be jogging barefoot ten years ago. However, scientists have shown that toe running, like heel running, has a downside for every advantage.
Forefoot vs. Rearfoot Running Injury Prevalence
In its prime, forefoot running was thought to be better for lowering the risk of running injury. Repetitive stress injuries are twice as common in heel (rearfoot) runners as they are in forefoot runners- Rearfoot runners had higher patellofemoral stress and frontal plane knee movement, which could increase the risk of a knee injury.
Injury patterns are altered by forefoot running rather than injury prevalence. Rearfoot runners showed more patellofemoral stress and frontal plane knee movement, which could put them at risk for injury. Ankle issues and Achille’s tendinopathies were more common in forefoot runners.
Until you consider a 2019 meta-analysis of 53 studies, these two factors and many others may confirm elite runners’ statements that forefoot running is better. This meta-analysis discovered that it alters injury patterns rather than injury prevalence. In the same 2013 study, forefoot runners’ ankle kinematics were shown to be higher, as were the forces exerted on the Achille’s tendon. As a result, forefoot runners were more likely to suffer from ankle problems and Achille’s tendinopathies.
Forefoot running reduces frontal knee motion and tibial loads, but it raises spinal stresses, according to research. Changing to a forefoot running technique may be advantageous if you have anterior knee pain or anterior tibial splints. Chronic low back pain sufferers, on the other hand, should stick to rearfoot running.
Rearfoot Running Is Slower Than Toe Running
Running with your back foot is slower than running with your toes. When considering a sprinter, many running instructors believe that rearfoot running is slower than toe running, which is technically correct. In forefoot running, the heel does not touch the ground during the stance phase, and the stance phase is reduced with prolonged float periods. The majority of runners spend less than half of their gait cycle in the stance phase, and some elite runners spend as little as 22%.
Running on your back foot is more difficult than running on your toes. The elastic energy (and strain) stored in your calf muscles and ankles increases as you run on your forefoot. Toe running eliminates the shock-absorbing components of the stance phase, allowing for the most efficient conversion of ground response force to propelling energy.
Toe running is quicker because removing the shock-absorbing parts of the stance phase permits the maximum conversion of the ground response force into propulsive energy. Shock absorption is designed to disperse impact forces through joint flexion, so keep that in mind. Running on your forefoot increases the elastic energy (and strain) stored in your calf muscles and ankles. The stretch reflex allows the calf muscle to recoil as it is stretched, allowing for an intense burst of forwarding movement.
Not Every Runner Has the Same Running Style
You might be wondering why not all runners are toe runners if both foot strike patterns cause injury and forefoot running is faster. The solution rests in the distinction between elite and amateur runners. For sprinters and elite long-distance runners with the strength and expertise to maintain this footstrike pattern for an extended period, toe running is the quickest running form.
Sprinters and elite long-distance runners both prefer to run on their toes. For inexperienced runners, the easiest and fastest strike pattern is heel running or rearfoot striking.
Numerous studies have indicated that for the Average amateur long-distance runner, heel running or rearfoot strike pattern is the easiest and thus fastest. In a 2013 study, the association between forefoot and rearfoot running in marathons was investigated. While 83 percent of top runners ran on their heels, an overwhelming 94 percent of amateur runners ran on their back feet.
Footstrike Tendencies of Elite Runners
Surprisingly, little research has been conducted on professional runners and their footstrike patterns during actual races. Despite this, until recently, the vast majority of coaches and specialists believed that heel-striking was the most effective method because it was used by the majority of athletes. That claim will be raised again, but the perception that it was the most effective has shifted in recent years.
Coaches and experts used to assume that heel-striking was the most efficient way of running. Some have begun to believe that landing on the forefoot is superior since the development of Pose and other running strategies. This is despite the fact that there is no evidence to back up the claim.
With the introduction of Pose and other running tactics, as well as the fact that not all great runners land on their heels initially, some have begun to argue that landing on the forefoot is preferable! As a result, we have this 180-degree shift, frequently without any substantial data to back up the allegation.
Conclusion
Although there isn’t enough information to say whether strike pattern is more energy-efficient, forefoot running is faster than rearfoot running. Both strike patterns are linked to injury, albeit the severity of the injuries varies depending on the running style.
Injury-free runners with non-painful strike patterns should not be compelled to change their running technique, since this could result in unanticipated problems due to anatomical differences. Injured runners and those pursuing specific running goals may want to alter their running style to manage and prevent injuries and achieve their objectives.
Running on the forefoot is faster than running on the backfoot. Injury is linked to both strike patterns, although the severity of the injuries differs depending on the running style. Injury-free runners with non-painful strike patterns should not be forced to adjust their running technique since anatomical differences may produce unanticipated complications.
Knowing that the best runners in the world prefer to land on their forefoot rather than their heels adds to the evidence that forefoot running is connected with the best results, both in terms of performance and in terms of clinical outcomes. These findings, which are in line with growing research, imply that heel striking causes more damage to the body when running.
Heel strike running has a number of drawbacks in addition to a poor running economy. It’s no surprise that these field-crushing distance runners avoid heel striking due to higher dynamic loads, transitory impacts, and nerve entrapment problems. Nonetheless, it’s ideal to learn from the best, and spending a lot of time observing and analyzing how others run might help you improve your form.
