Experts Suggest Health Buffs Should Consider Barefoot Running To Help Prevent Injuries

A new scientific review says that walkers and runners should consider performing their routines barefoot. It also revealed how shoes transform the way one runs and how it may weaken the foot in a manner that can lead to a host of injuries.

An Increase In Foot And Leg Injuries

In a new scientific review entitled “From barefoot hunter-gathering to shod pavement pounding. Where to from here? A narrative review,” Dr. Peter Francis and Professor Grant Schofield, explained how shoes may be doing more harm than good for runners. Dr. Francis is a lecturer and the Director of the Musculoskeletal Health Research Group at the Department of Science and Health, Institute of Technology Carlow in Carlow, Ireland. Professor Schofield, on the other hand, is a Senior Lecturer and Professor at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.

According to both co-authors, cushioned running shoes became synonymous with exercise more than 50 years ago. They also found, however, that incidences of foot and leg injuries increased, prompting them to conduct a global analysis of running injuries in both men and women. The result of their analysis showed that between 35% and 50% of runners sustained various types of foot and leg injuries at any one time. Dr. Francis said these numbers should be considered high, particularly for those who have adapted to long-distance running.

Common Injuries

Dr. Francis said that based on their global review, the most common injuries were to the ankles, feet, shins, and knees. Most of them were injuries to bones or connective tissue, whose main function is to help deliver force from the muscles to allow movement.

The researchers’ review also examined how humans ran before they started using shoes and how footwear altered the way they run. Dr. Francis stated that when the foot comes into contact with the ground, the tendons, nerves, skin, and ligaments of the foot transmit information to the spinal cord and brain about the precise position of the foot, as well as pressure, tension, and stretch. This information is then processed by the brain, which subsequently sends commands to the muscles to move the joints into a position that best absorbs impact and limit the damage.

A Return To Basics

For Professor Schofield, it is best for runners to return to basics by taking off their shoes when performing walking or running exercises. They just have to make sure they walk or run on synthetic tracks or areas where no sharp objects can harm them while they exercise. He said that in New Zealand, kids and teenagers aged 12 to 19 years old run sprint and middle-distance competitions barefoot.

He revealed that the prevalence of injuries in these kids’ lower limbs was much lower compared to children of the same age from other countries. Professor Schofield, however, cautioned those who wanted to try running barefoot to put off the experiment until after the coronavirus pandemic so they can get immediate medical care in case they hurt themselves.