Heel landing or forefoot landing?

With the barefoot trend and pose running in mind there is a tendency to consider the difference between forefoot and heel landing.

In the youtube video below you will see a runner in the biomechanics lab running both with shoes and without.

Most prominent observations:

• from heel landing he switches to mid- forefoot landing;
• the impact of the landing decreases;
• his calf muscle has to work harder;
• the muscle on the front of his lower leg (tibialis anterior) as to work less.

The biomechanist Joseph Hamill indicates that the length of the stride decreases while running barefoot. According to this researcher this will use more energy and is therefore less efficient. This contradicts with a previous posting I wrote on the Russian trainer / doctor Romanov. He states that the pose running method with forefoot landing and shorter strides is more fuel efficient (read this posting).

A final important observation is at the end of this video: If you take off your shoes and start running barefoot you will change you stride and technique. This makes you prone to injuries. So build it up: barefoot running.



Bron ABC Catalyst