That isn't an article.
That is an out of date blog blurb about a scientific study that was vigorously debated on letsrun.com when it was actually printed.
"Initial Impact
Heel Strike - Entire foot and most of lower leg comes
to complete stop at impact
Forefoot - Only forefoot comes to complete stop at
impact, while ankle and rest of leg continue moving"
I have never understood this point. How can your forefoot come to a stop while your ankle is still moving? And when I watch heel strikers like Abdi or Joan Samuelson (KK and Meb to a lesser degree), I do not see a complete stop in their stride.
Heel striking is a highly inefficent way to run as it forces you to "slam on the brakes" so to speak. Do you wonder why 70-75% of elites are Forefoot strikers, 20-25% are midfoot and only 5% are Heel-Strikers?
I am so relieved that I am a Forefoot Neutral striker and those results can clearly show you why. Actually gives me a chance to compete with the best(hopefully once I get past College). Do you also wonder why Meb( and a little bit Khalid) get so many injuries? Because he somewhat Is a Heel-Midfoot person.
Do you see the East Africans heel striking? No. Do you see Wanjiru, Geb, or Kebede heel striking? Nope, all of them are Midfoot-Forefoot. And you wonder why at the back of the pack most of them are heel strikers? Is Lukas Verzbicas a heel striker? I rest my case.
No way wrote:
Heel striking is a highly inefficent way to run as it forces you to "slam on the brakes" so to speak. Do you wonder why 70-75% of elites are Forefoot strikers, 20-25% are midfoot and only 5% are Heel-Strikers?
Flalse. In fact it's almost exactly opposite.
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/04/running-technique-footstrike.htmlgfdgd wrote:
Flalse. In fact it's almost exactly opposite.
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/04/running-technique-footstrike.html
Thank you. Mind this is analysing Japanese runners, though. Forefoot striking wastes energy as well. You either wait for your foot to collapse to the ground or use extra force to oppose that momentum. Heelstriking and especially midfoot striking lets you go on your toes when the momentum supports it.
Is it unnatural to heel strike when running slow or downhill and forefoot strike when running fast or uphill? I've also heard that rolling off your heel provides better traction in mud. I'm constantly switching back and forth depending on terrain and speed. Why does one way have to be right?
Forefoot striking is the best way. Bolt, Johnson, Rudisha, El Guerrouj, Komen, Bekele, and Geb all have/do forefoot strike.
And I will once again conteract these claims because Number 1( Last year, 1 Japanese runner ran under 2:10. Kenyans and Ethopians, both major forefoot strikers, in contrast, had 72 athletes under 2:10 (2. When runners get tired, they tend to Heel Foot striker. and Number 3(This guy probably has no diea what he is talking about because it probably looks like a Heel strike. Go watch Gebrsalassie strike, it looks like he Heel strikes but he is really a major forefoot striker.
heel striking is OK at slower aerobic speeds
when you're trying to go fast, do what comes naturally, which is usually a midfoot strike in road races
Campbells Salty Sodium wrote:
heel striking is OK at slower aerobic speeds
when you're trying to go fast, do what comes naturally, which is usually a midfoot strike in road races
I hope by "OK" you do not mean better. Forefoot is just simply better.
It's not some guy, it's an actual study of elite runners. Why do you think Kenyans are major forefoot strikers?
Coe, Kipketer, Rudisha, And Kipketer
They have the order wrong, and Juantorena is on the left, not another Kipketer.
http://www.letsrun.com/photos/2010/worldgala2/images/Juantorena-Coe-Kipketer-Rudisha1-Gala10.jpg
haile looks like he was heel striking when he set the marathon World REcord
Ho Hum wrote:
Why do you think Kenyans are major forefoot strikers?
Because they are running fast? Listen, people often go to the argument that, when you run fast, as in sprinting, do you heel strike or forefoot strike? It is a good question, but it doesn't necessarily lead to the conclusion that it's purported to. Do you have to run on the forefoot to be fast, or do you have to run fast to be able to effectively run on your forefoot? If we could answer that, then we may be onto something.
Chicken - Egg
Good Luck.
gfdgd wrote:
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/04/running-technique-footstrike.html
Thanks for the link. I had read that a long time ago and always wished I'd bookmarked it. Could have Googled it, but figured it'd show up on the radar sooner or later. Now it has. Thanks again.
I have a feeling that in about 50 years researchers will finally admit that the strength or density of the human skeleton and the tightness of of tendons and ligaments is what allows some to forefoot run and keeps others from doing it. Just like some bike frames and stiff and strong and other frames are weaker and more flexible.
Walkers can walk at 6 min per mile pace heel striking, so I don't think it can be that inefficient.
Does it not depend on where your foot is in relation to your body when it hits the ground when running?
If your foot is ahead of your centre of gravity at the time of impact in the gait cycle, then I imagine that this would lead to "slamming on the breaks". This is regardless of whether you are striking with the heel or forefoot.
On the other hand, if your leg is travelling backwards and your foot is under your centre of gravity when it touches the ground in the gait cycle, I cannot see how heel or forefoot contact really matters in terms of efficiency.
Just my thoughts.
