Injury Rates among Long Term Minimally Shod Runners
Numerous studies have examined how standard shod runners transitioning into minimal shoes experienced changes in their landing kinematics, foot musculature, and arch conformation (Miller, Whitcome, Lieberman, Norton, & Dyer, 2014). Although many studies show how standard shoes can negatively affect feet musculature, arch conformation, and change landing, no studies show whether transitioning into minimal shoes actually leads to less injury. Minimal running shoes mimic barefoot running form, which is thought to have occurred through millions of years of natural selection enabling humans to run barefoot and survive (Daoud, Geissler, Wang, Saretsky, Daoud, & Lieberman, 2012). The standard …show more content…
For example, shod running is associated with an increased peak torque at each of the three lower extremity joints when compared to minimal or barefoot running. The most prominent increases occur at the hip and knee joints. More importantly, disproportionately large increases in the hip internal rotation torque and in the knee flexion and knee varus torques. An increase in the three joints showed weak correlations with increase stride length observed in shod runners, but an increase in the external knee varus torque was found to significantly correlate with the increase in stride length. This was found to only explain 8% of the variance in the increase while shod running (Kerrigan, Franz, Keenan, Dicharry, Della Croce, & Wilder, 2009). This gives confirmation that one of the effects of the modern day running shoe is to increase joint torques at each of the 3 lower extremity joints. It is hypothesized that these increases are due to the elevated heel and arch support (Kerrigan, Todd, & Riley, 1998). Research observed a 36% increase in the knee flexion torque with modern day running shoes which potentially increases the load of the quadriceps muscle, increases strain through the patella tendon, and increases pressure across the patellofemoral joint (Reilly, & Martens, 1972). Furthermore, the large increase in the hip internal rotation torque, 54%, may lead to high clinical relevance, since previous findings show that competitive running may increase the risk of osteoarthritis of the hip joint (Schmitt, Rohs, Schneider, & Clarius, 2006). Current studies have shown the significant changes occur in standard running shoes, but have yet to conclude whether changing to minimal shoes actually leads to greater benefits and less
Numerous studies have examined how standard shod runners transitioning into minimal shoes experienced changes in their landing kinematics, foot musculature, and arch conformation (Miller, Whitcome, Lieberman, Norton, & Dyer, 2014). Although many studies show how standard shoes can negatively affect feet musculature, arch conformation, and change landing, no studies show whether transitioning into minimal shoes actually leads to less injury. Minimal running shoes mimic barefoot running form, which is thought to have occurred through millions of years of natural selection enabling humans to run barefoot and survive (Daoud, Geissler, Wang, Saretsky, Daoud, & Lieberman, 2012). The standard …show more content…
For example, shod running is associated with an increased peak torque at each of the three lower extremity joints when compared to minimal or barefoot running. The most prominent increases occur at the hip and knee joints. More importantly, disproportionately large increases in the hip internal rotation torque and in the knee flexion and knee varus torques. An increase in the three joints showed weak correlations with increase stride length observed in shod runners, but an increase in the external knee varus torque was found to significantly correlate with the increase in stride length. This was found to only explain 8% of the variance in the increase while shod running (Kerrigan, Franz, Keenan, Dicharry, Della Croce, & Wilder, 2009). This gives confirmation that one of the effects of the modern day running shoe is to increase joint torques at each of the 3 lower extremity joints. It is hypothesized that these increases are due to the elevated heel and arch support (Kerrigan, Todd, & Riley, 1998). Research observed a 36% increase in the knee flexion torque with modern day running shoes which potentially increases the load of the quadriceps muscle, increases strain through the patella tendon, and increases pressure across the patellofemoral joint (Reilly, & Martens, 1972). Furthermore, the large increase in the hip internal rotation torque, 54%, may lead to high clinical relevance, since previous findings show that competitive running may increase the risk of osteoarthritis of the hip joint (Schmitt, Rohs, Schneider, & Clarius, 2006). Current studies have shown the significant changes occur in standard running shoes, but have yet to conclude whether changing to minimal shoes actually leads to greater benefits and less