Running Analysis of Heel Strike vs Forefoot Strike Technique [Ep64]
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- If you're trying to run with correct technique, watch this running analysis to appreciate the difference between a heel strike and forefoot strike running technique. Not only is it a massive difference in how the foot contacts the ground, but also where the foot strikes in relation the the rest of the body.
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Learning to increase your cadence, improve posture and refine your leg swing is a hugely important part of learning to run with proper form. It's not just about how the foot strikes the ground!
Do let me know if you find this video helpful, and if you have any experiences to share in terms of learning to run with good form.
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ABOUT ME: I'm a runner, sports rehabilitation specialist and coach based in the UK (Norwich and London).
Since 2007 I've been working with athletes focusing specifically on helping distance runners and triathletes overcome injury and improve performance through developing their individual running technique.
Running biomechanics has become a geeky little passion of mine!
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🔴 *WATCH NEXT ▶️ The only 3 exercises you NEED to run stronger and stay injury free:* ua-cam.com/video/wH1qSqXAm_Y/v-deo.html
Very helpful. I spent half my marathon training running with a heel strike and would end up with massive knee pain for 1-2 days. I have been running forefoot strike for about a week now and couldn't be more appreciative of how much of a difference it has made on my running times and drastically decreased knee pain. Thank you James!
tilda15un how to get a forefoot strike ??? Watched a lot of videos but not able to understand how to run on forefoot.....I tried my best but ended landing on heel.....can u please help ???
@@Nirdesh23 maybe lean forward more and kind of imagine you're sprinting. I don't think people he'll strike when they sprint, so try and copy your sprint form.
I've only been running 6 months but recently changed to a mid-forefoot strike from a heavy heel plod. It's certainly made distance easier, I ran my first marathon yesterday!
Its been 5 years since you've ran your first marathon, damn
Its been 5 years since you've ran your first marathon, damn
James you are correct, when I needed to change from heel strike (suffered bi-lateral tibia & femur fractures) to mid-foot striker my calves and Achilles both suffered. It definitely takes a longer conditioning period than I anticipated.
I am grateful for this video. I experimentally found this out while running today and noticed far less pain. Very pleased to see information to back up my hypothesis!!
Thank you, I've been studying a lot of your videos, examining where I have been going wrong. Glute exercises rocked!
He don't blink. 😂😂😂
😂
You have opened my eyes! I recently switched my running form to this. But could not understand why it felt better. I too had issues with plantar fasciitis and calves pain. Thank you for the info!!
Pleased to hear it :) Glad the video helped!
Very usrfull. I was getting bad knee issues from heal stricking. But now much better with toe stride
Very helpful. I've been trying to fix this for awhile
Great video. Been suffering from lower leg and calf pain from focusing on forefoot technique. Now feel this may be due to having too much of a ‘sprinter stance’ and now allowing heel to drop.
The "forefoot" (or better midfoot) strike shown here on the right seems to me like a good technique for a running pace faster than about 3:30 min/km. I personally think slightly touching with the heel at first and then rolling the foot forward to the midfoot position before the full onset of the forces would be a better solution for most runners as they wouldn't run such a fast pace. It just seems to me like going from one extreme to another.
I've tried the midfoot technique for a couple of years and it felt just like I have two possibilities, either running much faster than my intended pace of about 4:30 min/km or slowing down due to setting my feet in front of the center of gravity. It just didn't feel natural.
This is a great comparison James. Thanks for the video.
No problem! Glad you find it useful :) What are you training for at the moment?
+James Dunne (Kinetic Revolution) I have just completed my first half two weeks ago. Been having some injuries which I need to get on top of before setting my next goal.
Congrats on finishing your first half :) I hope you're over your injuries and back to running soon :)
Absolutely brilliant! Thanks a lot for sharing.
This man doesn't blink
I think I get it: The runner on the right is using hip and knee flexion to achieve a high foot position, so he ends up creating more "flight" and more forward motion. He is able to cover ground without overextending his leg, precisely because his whole trunk is being brought forward.
Is that the idea?
Spot-on :D
I watched this video ages ago, but I clearly didn’t don’t understand it. Speaking to a runner today who is considerably quicker then me told me raise my knees higher driving myself forward. Thought I should “check” this and came across this video which is exactly the same thing. Felt my calf a bit more on my run today, but I suppose that suggests I was doing it correctly as it’s meant to put more strain on my calf.
I also now understand that drill when you flex your hips and knees that’s in the 30 Day Challenge.
There is a lot of bullshit out about heel vs forefoot.
A majority of elite marathon runners are heel strikers.
A study from 2018 during the World Track and Field Championships in London, researchers had 49 high-speed cameras rigged up in the stadium and out on the marathon course for a massive biomechanics study led by a team at Leeds Beckett University. If you’ve ever wondered about the nuances of hammer throwing-should you spin three, four, or five times before releasing your projectile?-then the recent release of detailed reports on 38 individual events will be a treasure trove for you.
Among those reports are some interesting nuggets on the best distance runners in the world. During the marathons, which were run on a four-loop road course, the researchers used a four-camera setup to watch for subtle changes in each runner’s stride, foot strike, joint angles, and so on as they fatigued. During track races like the 10,000 meters, they analysed the pacing of each runner in 100-meter intervals throughout the race in addition to collecting biomechanical data. Here are a few highlights from their findings:
One of the main tenets of the barefoot/minimalist running movement is that landing on your heel is bad for you. And it’s true that studies of people who grow up without shoes in places like Kenya show that they tend to land on their forefoot or midfoot when they run barefoot. But what about the elite runners who emerge from East Africa? Do they continue to run that way once they have access to shoes?
Of the 70 runners analysed during the fourth lap of the men’s marathon, 47 of them (67 percent) landed on their heels, 21 (30 percent) landed on their midfoot, and two (3 percent) landed on their forefoot. The percentages were similar in the 78 competitors analysed in the women’s marathon: 57 (73 percent) heel, 19 (24 percent) midfoot, and 2 (3 percent) forefoot. And this pattern wasn’t confined to particular countries or finishing places. In the men’s marathon, the top four finishers, hailing from Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Great Britain, were all heel strikers during all four laps of the race.
This is particularly interesting because the idea that elite runners don’t land on their heels is so pervasive. When Nike was developing shoe concepts for its sub-two-hour marathon project, they at one point produced a prototype with the heel mostly stripped off to save weight. The problem was that virtually all the elite runners who tried it hated it, so they ended up pivoting to the chunky, cushioned heel in the new Vaporfly 4% shoe.
Something about the injuries runners get when they run with a heel strike: It is true that there is a (marginally)higher chance to get knee injuries, but forefoot strikers get achilleas tendon and calve problems more often.
Interesting but how do you maintain form over a race effort? Fitness I suspect but I always revert back to my natural plodding when I begin to fatigue.
It all boils down to strength endurance of the muscles you're using differently to achieve this new form. As soon as they fatigue excessively, you'll most likely revert back to your initial form. That's why I like the concept of minimum effective change when it comes to running technique coaching - discussed here: ua-cam.com/video/w3ZulY_o_0Y/v-deo.html
OK thanks James. Strength work is something i have identified as lacking in my training. I am particularly weak in the posterior chain and glutes.
If you wear minimalist shoes, you won't revert back to heel first.
Awesome! Very useful analysis! Thank you for sharing!
Doesn't foot lift on the right require additional effort and leads to elevated heart rate? If one just tries to lift a foot like that, hr will certainly go up, especially if running slow.
He is wearing different shoes. Would he be able to stay in a higher heel drop shoe and still accomplish the mid foot strike without problems?
hard for me to follow the video with the screen continuously paused and drawing all over the screen, I get more help from seeing a slow motion demo of what strike I should use, Ill check your channel for something like that.
How do we process this
I went from a forefoot striker, (with PF and AT) to a mid foot striker in a year's time using Vibrams. Now transitioning back to shoes. Dragging my feet has been a problem for me so bringing my heel towards my rump is the next thing on my list to address.
Great video.
A bit off topic ... has anyone ever done any research on water bottles and running form? Weight distribution plays such a part in running form it makes me wonder if carrying bottles, say -- 12 oz bottles, with a hand-held in each hand helps or hinders running efficiency ... as opposed to hydration vests or waist held bottles, (during those long, training, runs)? I know of pretty fast trail runners who use hand held carriers during races. Wondering if there's an advantage to the weight swinging with the hands compared to the static, (in comparison) weight of bladders on the back or waist held bottles?
Stay well and happy running.
Pleased to hear you find the video useful, Robert! I hope it helps you master your running form. I'm not sure about published research and water bottles, but from experience I can definitely say that carrying a bottle does make a difference to technique for many runners. The main difference I notice is that they often develop an asymmetrical arm carriage to accommodate the habit of always carrying the bottle in the same hand... something that remains once the bottle is taken away! Not sure about the momentum of a water bottle helping with the effectiveness of arm swing... it's an interesting thought!
I'm a new runner coming from a cycling background, I used to be the guy on the left with my BPM running through the roof, now I am the guy on the right not only my cadence increased, my BPM is also lower and my splits are getting better.
You say the heel strike is less economical because it has greater stopping effect, but then the forefront strike the dude needs to propel his body 3x higher which requires more energy lol
hey bro I’m sharing a link to your video tonight on my video!!
Hi there, I've only recently tried to get serious about running since I've always suffered from posterior shin splints when I attempt to run (taking time off and returning doesn't help). After looking at footage of myself running I realized I'm heel striking and have a cadence of ~165.
My question is: It seems the biggest explained benefits to midfoot/forefoot running focuses on the reduced knee impact. However, do you think this specific problem would be fixed or reduced by changing my form? Or is it probably something else? (My arches fall when I stand up which probably doesn't help--but I know plenty of friends with flat feet who run just fine).
One other thing, I hear zero-drop/minimalist shoes advertised a lot for their ability to facilitate better running form. Is this hugely important or is any comfortable pair of shoes okay?
Thanks for taking the time to comment! You might find this video and article helpful in ters of understanding the role of technique in shin splints: www.kinetic-revolution.com/what-causes-shin-splints-in-runners/
Zero-drop/minimalist shoes is a big topic. Perhaps something I will cover in a future video :)
Sorry but forefoot striking are for fast paced short distance runners. What I used to do. Heel strikers are long distance runners 5K+ which what I do know. I had hairline fracture twice on my right leg fibula then afterwards tibia for forcing my old forefoot running style on long distance runs. I can't recall how or why I got into half marathons, but becoming a heel striker helps me more with distance runs in preventing leg stresses. I wouldn't recommend one or the other without properly explaining which style of running works best for someone's preference of either sprinting or distance running.
Mhike177 I also find I run faster (than a comfortable distance pace) when forcing myself onto my forefoot.
But every runner I know tells me about how bad heel strikes are. Which is my natural running stance.
Worth it for the last second :'D
But seriously, quality stuff as ever James, go raibh míle.
What to do now ?
hi james, great video. I've recently been working to improve my form and I've seen myself switch to a more mid to fore foot strike. I've been suffering from sore and tight calf muscles though, do you have any advice for improving the conditioning of the calf to help this? Thanks
Thanks, Pete! Typical calf conditioning exercises like calf raises will help in the medium to long term. In the short term however, the biggest thing you can do to help yourself is give your legs time to adapt. Don't run too far too soon with the new form, give the calf muscles lots of recovery (days between runs), and make sure you're not too far forwards on the foot. Good luck!
I would like to ask. Don´t you have pain of your lower back muscle (trunk erectors) while running with this midfoot technique? I started to train this technique, it helped my shins a lot (I had shin splints), but my back muscle tend to overload. Maybe I lean too much forward... Do somebody of you have any experiences with this problem?
thanks
Funny, I have been feeling same these days (lower back muscle pain) which I have never felt, as I transitioned to more forefoot/midfoot - I thought maybe it was carrying my backpack..but this may well be the problem...Question is what is the solution - strengthening the trunk muscles? I guess any change brings other issues elsewhere - as those muscles were probably sleeping and now only waking up..
Almost definitely caused by pitching yourself forward, as your spine is no longer vertical. Get your shoulders back, hips in, head high, and you will likely notice a difference.
You should also be training your Core a bit
Strengthen youre gluteus medius and stretch youre psosas major.
Great video, James. I went from heel-striking to midfoot-striking, as well as an increase in cadence to about 180, about a year ago. At first I (quite naturally, I guess) got quite sore calfs, but after a few weeks they were fine, or at least I thought so. But last October I got an Achilles tendonitis which took a couple of month to heal, and in April I had a small but nevertheless painful tear somewhere deep in the calf (tennis leg?). The injuries were not in the same leg. I guess my problems are due to a too-much-too-soon increase in running load, rather than caused by my transition to a midfoot-striker. Or what do you think? Running with a midfoot strike should put less strain on the body so there should be less problems with injuries?
Unfortunately it's a common story of potentially too much too soon in the new style, as you rightly say. It's important to remember that as you change from one type of technique to another, forces get moved around the body... not excluded. Heel strike running = more stress on knees, mid-foot = more stain on calf complex (including Achilles). The difference is that the calf complex can adapt and become more resilient, but it takes time to make the change!
Right, and I guess that the muscles adapt rather quickly while the tendonds take more time? Is this even more so when you are older (like 40+ or so)?
It's more that the tendon suffers more when the attached muscle is excessively tight and/or weak. Yep, age is certainly a factor. Gets us all!
I did the same although I started off without heel striking. Went jogging 12,5 km really easy with new Asics kayano. After 2 runs I got the achilles over stressed on the sides of the right heel. Luckylly not severe and after now over 4 weeks I seemingly can do everything without pain again although I did not start jogging long runs again. I did got new shoes for running I got the Nike Free run instead. Don't want the hard heel shoes ever again.
I am 35 y/e.
Exxellent video James! Found it very interesting as I suffer from overuse injury to my soleus. When i started running I was heel striking as it was the only way i could acutally move forward without falling over. I have moved more to running on the ball of my foot naturally being more of a sprinter previously. But what i wanted to ask is if cadence is higher for the same speed surely he is doing more work and will tire sooner?
Thanks, Mark! Glad to hear you found the running analysis interesting :) If you increase your cadence too far for a given pace, it definitely becomes more effort for the same output. However coming from ~160spm and setting around 176-180spm, I'd expect this runner to feel comfortable. It's a work in progress, as we see it in this video.
What strength and conditioning exercises will help to improve this motion, as opposed to trying to force the stride?
Good analysis but I question this type of comparison. The runner will run differently simply because he's aware he's being recorded for the purpose of demonstrating the difference between the two techniques .
Interesting video, James. I stopped running several years ago because I was sick of getting pain in the same spot on the inside of my tibia. I tried different shoes, but the pain always came back after a few weeks of running. I had gait analysis at my local running shop, and on heel strike my heel appeared to roll significantly, yet my running style was described as neutral. Do you think that heel strike running could have caused my tibia pain? I would love to start running again if I can find a way to stay pain free. Sorry for the lengthy question, and thanks for the video.
Can high hamstring tendinopathy result from heel strike running?
Possibly, I used to feel this and changed shoes from 8mm drop down to 4 and now zero drop...it reduced impact of heel strike - physio did not agree with me but it worked so kept up with it...just my experience as distance runner - not an expert by any stretch.
Quick follow up to below: So, when people say that speed depends on cadence x stride length, there's actually a hidden third variable in there, which is the amount of "flight" per stride.
Do you look at it this way?
For sure! The 'flight time' per stride isn't so much an individual variable, more a result of how hard you push-off on the trailing leg combined with the extent to which you flex the hip and knee on the lead leg... to create the clearance of the ground.
I wish I had someone to go out and run with me to help me get into my best run positions, with a bad back, bad hips and grindy knees I know I need it. I've lost 120 lbs in 1 yr so Running 3 to 6 mi a day 5 days a week is very important for me and my physical abd mental health. I also need new shoes with better cushioned response.
Im a heel striker and overpronator and posterior shins hurt after runnin. does changing to midfoot/forefoot reduce this?
What app is this?
notice how much bigger and more developed his calves are in the clip on the right thanks to forefoot running; the way it should be
That looks like the same person same tattoo... 🤷
Which shoe is on the right?
Great vid. Could you tell which app did you use for that comparison?
Wdym
Which editing software did you use?
what is the rough timeframe between these. 2 mths or more. also is the treadmill speed about the same for both. thanks great video.
He's been self taught over a period of 4-5 months. I've been giving a few technique pointers remotely via the Bulletproof Runners group.
is it same speed?
Hi James. Thanks for sharing this video. Form is something I struggle with and have worked on religiously over the past couple of years. Despite my efforts, I'm still more or a heel striker than a midfoot runner. My cadence averages about 178-190 depending on pace so I think I'm good there. Are there other cues that I can focus on other than cadence to focus on that form? You mention low carriage of foot and knee, which I know is my running style. Are there drills you recommend or cues to think about to get that foot and knee lift as mentally I can't seem to tie the pieces together to make it happen. Thanks for the videos!!
Melanie
Hi Melanie! Glad you found this video helpful. This drill would be worth a try: ua-cam.com/video/REdkIAxVSmE/v-deo.html
I just discovered I’m a heel striker I currently wear a ASICS Kayano stability shoe do you recommend switching shoes to overcome heel striking ??
Nike air force 1
How would you go about changing this?
I found changing your shoes are the biggest thing. I used to be a heel striker years ago when I wore the normal thick cushioned running shoes that seemingly everyone wears. When I moveed to more minimal style shoes like New balance minimus shoes I quickly moved to a forefoot striker in about a few running sessions because heel striking was way to painful and felt very unnatural.
I started changing my form last year from heel to mid/fore because of PF flareups for years. Did well for 6 months but found myself overstriding and causing foot pain. Trying to get that perfect swing through has been difficult for me to achieve. Took time off and worked on strength but now I'm battling other injuries and I don't know why. (Sciatica/Achilles tenderness). Too drastic of a change after running wrong for 20 years? Too much shock on body?
Frustrating to hear that you're still struggling, Heather. The most important thing about any changes to form is not to force it. Strength and mobility need to underpin any changes being worked on.
I"m at the point where I feel I have to start all over again, almost as a beginning runner. Frustrating. Maybe a couple months of strength and mobility and then start running again?
Just read your Minimum Effective Change. That helps and makes me feel better. thanks
Pleased to hear it, Heather!
Landing is better on the right but not sure why the the heel coming up above his butt...what?? A case of reverse over-striding...inefficient
I'm inclined to agree, Malcolm. I do know that the runner in question is still in the early stages of refining this new form. In my experience, he'll learn to "tone it down" a little in terms of the height of the heel-lift at this relatively slow pace. Right now he does look a little exaggerated in his movements, but he's learning ;) He'll be the first to admit it's a work in progress... as it is for us all!
From what I understand, in terms of biomechanics, more knee flexion (heel coming to the butt) decreases the radius of gyration, which will then increase the angular velocity of the hip, allowing it to come through swing phase quicker and allowing a higher cadence.
Sure about the foot collapsing all the way to the ground, incl. the heel? There's world class runners that run just forefoot. See the famous vid on Moses Mosop's style.
When you're running at the same pace as Mosop, then you'll most likely be naturally further forward on the foot. For the guy in this video, and many other recreational distance runners, keeping the heel off the ground all the way through stance phase would be a disaster for the calves when you add significant milage!
James Dunne ok.
Mosop definitely lets his heels come down. Just barely and for a very very short time, but they do touch.
sar hinde
I run for long term health, the rear foot strike offers the least amount of pressure on achilles. If any pain ever occurs switch to an adaptive motion trainer or bike. Stay healthy.
The is too much pronation in the after video.
Do you blink?!!?
Dud you just use hypnosis on me with your eyes 😳
piercing unyielding eyes...
Jesus!!!! Blink, damnit, man.
I love the obsession with telling people to run less efficiently.
Its scientifically proven that Heel Strike is more efficient. Often times 6% more efficient.
It's biomechanically proven that Heelstrike is more efficient, over distance in metabolic rate and oxygen costs.
Research also shows that Neither heel strike nor fore foot strike or mid-foot strike is less vulnerable to injuries.
It's a myth that people who run forefoot suffer less injuries.
I do run barefoot occasionally and heelstrike. Infact I'm barefoot most of the time. I don't wear shoes unless it's necessary. Shoes are bad for our feet.
I do do a lot of research, the problem is that you don't.
All of your "research" is biased online internet tabloid searches from people who are biased.
But if you look into the real sciences and published study documents and biomechanics you'll see a far different story and the cherrypicked tabloid science that you "research."
The actual research shows that there is lower metabolic usage in heelstriking, and that long distance runners tend to heel strike as they get tired to gather more energy on rebound. And if you look at the mechanics of the food during a heel strike you'll understand why this is done. You see a very clear linear path of the travel of stress and energy in the foot that is recovered as the foot lifts back up off the ground.
The actual research also shows that forefoot and heelstrike runners do not suffer any less injuries than the other. The suffer different kinds of injuries.
The modern research shows that people should practice running and not overstress themselves, Not try to develop a form of running that they body does not conform too.
This is why Triatheletes and top runners are starting to experiment with heelstriking again, because it turns out that many are finding their late stage of running is reverting to heel striking.
You can say do your research all you want as a cop out, but the thing is, I'm a biological anthropologist. I specifically study the evolution of Hominins.
The fact of the matter is that you have no basis in this line of education and research.
So, go to school, become a scientist, and do your research.
Great video!
Thanks! Hope you find it useful :)