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Achilles tendon: running barefoot vs running shod?

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by Simon Spooner, Feb 4, 2010.


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    All,
    A post from the fat lad got me thinking http://www.podiatry-arena.com/podiatry-forum/showpost.php?p=134514&postcount=12: Alexander's work points to the Achilles tendon acting as a spring during running gait- storing and returning elastic energy. Given that when running barefoot, a forefoot strike pattern may be more common and while running in shoes a rearfoot strike pattern appears to be more common, what influence does the strike pattern have on the ability of the achilles to store and return elastic energy?
     
  2. I would assume that forefoot strike would place more load on the achilles and therefore more energy returned, but there could be a chance that the elastic deformation could become plastic ( if I remember correctly and then something about creep).

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFtw8G5nSI4
     
  3. So, faster loading = stiffer tendon. Does stiffer achilles tendon in a forefoot striker = greater "braking power" to STJ pronation?
     
  4. Im guesing so from Craig post in my achilles thread, he said

    so I´m thinking that the same must occur with FF striking
     
  5. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    The Effect of Foot Strike Pattern on Achilles Tendon Load During Running.
    Almonroeder T, Willson JD, Kernozek TW.
    Ann Biomed Eng. 2013 May 3.
     
  6. Sicknote

    Sicknote Active Member

    Nothing, if the tendon is overly stiff (vast majority of the population).

    Your talking as if everybody has compliant tendons, far, far from it.
     
  7. efuller

    efuller MVP

    With forefoot striking the center of pressure of ground reaction force will tend to be more lateral to the STJ axis than with rearfoot striking. So, there is a competition from the direct supination moment from the tendon versus the pronation moment from the ground. So, you might not get any "breaking power" about the STJ in terms of supination moment from the Achilles tendon.

    Eric
     
  8. efuller

    efuller MVP

    The heel lift might mess with balance. That is when you stand on the lift you might choose to lean forward or backward more as compared to without the lift. (This is a choice.) If you chose to lean back, moving the center of pressure more proximaly, you would decrease the pronation moment from the ground and this might be the cause of change in supination resistance.

    The moment at the STJ from the Achilles is just a by product of the moment created at the ankle. The Achilles is first an ankle plantar flexor. I could see how it would be adaptive to also provide some supination moment with the average stj axis extending from the heel out to, roughly, the first met head. As ankle plantar flexion shifts the center of pressure anteriorly the angulation of the STj axis will make the Achilles an indirect pronator.

    Eric
     
  9. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    The Relationship Between Achilles Tendon Moment Arm and Running Economy in Rearfoot and Forefoot Runners
    Allison H. Gruber, Brian R. Umberger, Ross H. Miller, Joseph Hamill
    Presented at 2013 ACSM Mtg
     
  10. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    Manipulation of Foot Strike and Footwear Increases Achilles Tendon Loading During Running
    Hannah Rice, PhD, Mubarak Patel, MSc
    The American Journal of Sports Medicine
     
  11. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    THE POTENTIAL OF FOOT STRIKE PATTERN BEING A RISK FACTOR IN ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
    KYLE VAN HEERDEN
    BACCALUREUS ARTIUM HONORS (Human Movement Sciences)
    BLOEMFONTEIN; 2016

     
  12. Angélica Corrêa Soares

    Angélica Corrêa Soares Welcome New Poster

    Saudação
    A força da minha propulsão e a velocidade de passadas aumenta a tendinopatia para que ja tem tendinite? ou resulta uma patologia tendinosa?
     
  13. WilliamsL

    WilliamsL Welcome New Poster

    This is a very interesting article because as a person who is experiencing Achilles tendonitis and as a future Podiatry student, I was looking for information regarding this topic. Historically, I have always ran with a rearfoot strike but recently started doing the yoga 'downward dog' and walking with a forefoot strike which has eased the pain, but the soreness in the tendon still remains.
    Perhaps, it is a case of having run for so many years on my heel that I weakened the muscles, so now walking/running oppositely, has corrected it somewhat?
     
  14. William:

    Rearfoot striking running does not "weaken muscles". Over 90% of runners rearfoot strike and about 1-2% of runners are forefoot strikers. Typically, those runners who try to transition from rearfoot to forefoot strike patterns will increase their risk of developing Achilles tendinitis. My advice is to continue stretching, go back to your natural rearfoot strike running pattern and wear 3-6 mm heel lifts in your running shoe to heal more rapidly from your Achilles tendinitis.

    There is so much nonsense on the internet about forefoot striking running being somehow more "natural" and "better form" that it is really very sad how many runners have been injured by listening to and believing these "anti-rearfoot striking zealots". You may want to read this article I wrote a few years back on footstrike patterns in running.

    https://www.podiatrytoday.com/emerging-evidence-footstrike-patterns-running
     
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  15. NewsBot

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    Articles:
    1
    The Effects of Habitual Foot Strike Patterns on Achilles Tendon Loading in Female Runners
    Thomas W. Kernozek et al
    Gait and Posture; Article in Press
     
  16. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    Do habitual foot-strike patterns in running influence functional Achilles tendon properties during gait?
    Scott C. Wearing,I. S. Davis,T. Brauner,S. L. Hooper &T. Horstmann
    Journal of Sports Sciences : 10 Sep 2019
     
  17. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    Effects of 12-week transition training with minimalist shoes on Achilles tendon loading in habitual rearfoot strike runners
    XiniZhang et al
    Journal of Biomechanics; 9 October 2021, 110807
     
  18. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    Self-reported foot strike patterns and sonographic evidence of Achilles tendinopathy in asymptomatic marathon runners
    Scott M. Marberry,Sara E. Filmalter,George G.A. PujalteORCID Icon,James C. Presley,Kristina F. DeMatas,Daniel P. Montero
    Journal of Sports Sciences: 31 May 2022
     
  19. NewsBot

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    Articles:
    1
    Effects of a 12-week gait retraining program on the Achilles tendon adaptation of habitually shod runners
    Xini Zhang et al
    Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2023 Oct 10
     
  20. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    Rearfoot Strike Run Retraining for Achilles Tendon Pain: A Two-patient Case Series
    Brittney Mazzone Gunterstockman, DPT, Jennifer Carmel, DPT, Laura Bechard, DPT, Adam Yoder, MS, Shawn Farrokhi, DPT, PhD
    Military Medicine, usad436, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usad436
     
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