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Personally I find the whole mid foot classification a pointless term. No 2 people seem to use the same standard and visual observation don't confirm what is actually taking place. A good example is of the video of a runner on a treadmill with the shoe cut away. The movement of the foot doesn't translate to the movement of the shoe.
D87heaven. The fact that a bodily measurement exists on a continuum does not mean it is not important to identify problems associated with regions within the range. Both blood sugar and blood pressure occur on a continuum. The precise clinical criteria for diabetes and for hypertension are somewhat arbitrary decisions. The precsie quantitative definition for both diabetes and for hypertension were redefined by committee over the course of my years in clinical practice.
The distribution of load at foot strike also exists on a continuum. Fortunately the consequence of foot-strike are not as serious as those of elevated blood pressure or blood glucose. Nonetheless, there is abundant evidence that there is a variation in the stresses on different parts of the body as foot strike varies from extreme forefoot to extreme heel strike. The consequences for each individual vary depending of strength of various body parts. Therefore there is no single general rule about the best foot strike for all runners.
Nonetheless, midfoot is a compromise that avoids the potentially risky rapid rise in ground reaction force that occurs with heel strike while also avoiding the stresses on Achilles and metatarsals associated with forefoot landing. Therefore in general, I think that in a marathon, when the body is subjected to a very large number of impacts, midfoot is probably the best compromise for the majority of runners. The growing evidence of the benefits of heel strike has led me to reconsider this, but I still think the balance of evidence favours midfoot as the best compromise for the majority of runners.
The fact that the precise definition of midfoot is arbitrary does not invalidate this judgment anymore than the arbitrariness of the definition of hypertension invalidates the use of blood pressure measurement to guide treatment decisions, though a good doctor generally bases treatment decisions on both the measurement and the circumstances of the individual.
The distribution of load on the foot during stance affects the stresses that act at various joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments in the body. The consequences are likely to vary depending on individual differences in strength of these tissues.
Because of variation between individual and circumstances, the experiences of individual or even the average in groups of individuals is likely to vary, so it is necessary to examine evidence from multiple studies and take account of various types of evidence.
The point on the foot that bears the greatest load can vary over a continuous range from forefoot to heel.
The load builds up rapidly in the early phase of stance so the loading during the first 20-30% of the stance phase is especially important.
There is robust evidence from studies of groups of individuals (including reputable studies by Lieberman and colleagues) that heel strike is associated with a rapid rise in ground reaction force. Because body tissues are viscoelastic (ie they are stiffer when force is applied suddenly) forces and hence potently risk of injury is greatest when force build up rapidly. Ground reaction force is greater at higher speed.
There is substantial evidence (e.g. from the Capetown study of Pose and many other accounts) that forefoot landing increases stress on Achilles tendon and calf. This is consistent with biomechanical principles.
The evidence from studies of efficiency (g Ogueta et al; Gruber et al) suggests that heel strike is more efficient at slow and medium speed, though the evidence is still debateable.
During a marathon efficiency is important, but so too is the risk of microscopic damage to muscles which leads to loss of muscle power. Some evidence suggests that loss of muscle power during a marathon plays a substantial role in slowing down after halfway.
Taking all of the above into account, I consider that the present evidence suggests midfoot strike, such that the load is distributed fairly evenly between forefoot and heel in early stance is likely to provide the best combination of efficacy and safety for the majority of marathon runners, but this is a not a rule that applies to all runners. Slow runners might be better advised to heel-strike while fast, strong runners might be better off placing a higher proportion of the load on the forefoot.
Sorry, the fifth paragraph was a bit mangled. It should be: There is robust evidence from studies of groups of individuals (including reputable studies by Lieberman and colleagues) that heel strike is associated with a rapid rise in ground reaction force. Because body tissues are viscoelastic (ie they are stiffer when force is applied suddenly)there is potentially greater risk of injury when forces build up rapidly. Ground reaction force is greater at higher speed.
Interesting watching Mutai v Farah running style. Mutai much shorter stride and less use of arms while Mo was really striding out. I suspect that Mutal will use less energy with his approach
It is interesting the Mo has always had a huge powerful stride and a low cadence. It was well demonstrated in his UK 3000m indoor record set in Glasgow in 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WaY1h7odG8
In the middle 1000m his cadence was around 176 and he was covering about 2m 20 cm per step. Then he really stretched out in the final 500 m.
It is perhaps surprising that despite Alberto Salazar’s effort to change him, he has really added a thin layer of polish to Mo’s power running of 5 years ago. Nonetheless, that additional polish was enough to produce Mo’s two Olympic golds and two world championships. It is going to be very interesting to see if he can hold his form for the entire marathon.
Finishing second afterhis fall today suggests he has the necessary spirit.
I just started running again after over two months out with heel bursitis. I am trying to run with better form and avoid hurting my heel again but now it feels like I have no push off or power. Any idea of what I might be doing to feel like this?
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Interesting study
Jul 2024