Barefoot running is the latest craze to sweep the running world. This increased attention is due, at least in part, to Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run, which sings the praises of barefoot running. But is barefoot really better?
While there are tons of runners that will testify to the fact that barefoot running reduces injuries, medical experts say that the jury is still out.
“There is little scientific proof that this style of running is a cure for nagging injuries, and experts say this barefoot lifestyle could be doing more harm than good.” (Source: )
While found that barefoot runners had less discomfort when running on hard surfaces, there’s still little evidence showing that heel striking causes injury.
According to Michael Ryan, an orthopedics researcher at UW-Madison, it’s difficult for doctors to collect numbers on barefoot running injuries because many runners abandon the technique as soon as the experience pain.
Ryan notes, however, that many in the field have noticed an increase in foot, ankles, and calf injuries. What remains unclear is the extent to which such injuries are simply due to the process of transitioning to a new running form, as well as perhaps doing too much too soon.
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What does anyone else think about this?