Why run barefoot

A one-tailed test is only justified if you have a specific prediction about the direction of the difference e. Earth FX and earthing. While it is admirable that the authors disclosed these interests, the obvious financial incentives to find results that supported earthing and the dubious methods they employed do not instil confidence in their results. Despite the scarcity and low quality of the evidence in favour of the existence of earthing, according to Jim McFarlane, professor of physiology at the University of New England, earthing should not be written off as irrelevant.

Based on the published evidence to date, we should not expect to obtain health benefits from going barefoot, whether by equilibrating with the electrical potential of the Earth through earthing or running while wearing minimalist or no shoes.

Nonetheless, as winter recedes and spring is sprung in our southern hemisphere, wiggling your bare toes in the sun-warmed grass will at least improve your mood. Home News The health benefits of running barefoot. Register Now. Subscribe to Talking Points. Follow us. We found that not only could children in New Zealand aged run sprint and middle-distance races barefoot, we also found the prevalence of pain in the lower limbs knees, ankles, and feet was relatively low compared with children of similar ages from other countries.

Other research has also shown differences in foot structure and function in barefoot and shoe-wearing populations. These findings prompted us to conduct a global review of running injuries in men and women. We found that between 35 and 50 percent of runners were injured at any one time. These numbers could be considered high — especially for a species adapted to long-distance running.

The most common injuries were to the knees, shins, ankles and feet. Most of these injuries were mainly to bone or connective tissue, whose primary function is to help transmit force from the muscles to allow movement. Proper barefoot running form. Peter Francis. Our latest review explored how humans ran before using shoes, and how shoes change the way we run.

We found that when the foot comes into contact with the ground, the skin, ligaments, tendons and nerves of the foot feed a rich source of information to the brain and spinal cord about the exact position of our foot, including tension, stretch and pressure. The quality of this information allows the precise control of muscles to move our joints into a position that absorbs impact and limits damage.

The first mass-marketed cushioned running shoe was manufactured in the s and advertised as footwear that could prevent running injuries. Surprisingly, this narrative even found its way into the scientific literature. In the s, "better running shoes" were suggested as a reason for the reduced incidence of Achilles tendinopathy in one study and "poor shoes" were suggested as a risk factor for stress fractures in another study. Our review suggests that footwear reduces the quality of information being sent to the brain and spinal cord, leading to more blunt running mechanics.

Shoes allow runners to land with a more upright body position and an extended leg, leading to excessive braking forces. Clinical Biomechanics. Cheung RT, et al. Effects of footwear on running economy in distance runners: A meta-analytical review.

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. Hollander K, et al. Long-term effects of habitual barefoot running and walking: A systematic review. Murphy K, et al. Barefoot running: Does it prevent injuries? Sports Medicine. Roth J, et al. Orthopaedic perspective on barefoot and minimalist running. Laskowski ER expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 29, See also 10, steps 5K training schedule Exercise warm-up Aerobic exercise Air pollution and exercise Ankle weights for fitness walkers Buying athletic shoes?

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