Should you change your foot strike pattern? Hamill & Gruber, 2017.

Jan 25, 2021

On this episode, Brodie summarizes a paper by Hamill & Gruber titled: Is changing footstrike pattern beneficial to runners?

This is a hot topic for a lot of runners, coaches and health professionals alike, and while this paper may not come to a conclusive statement, it does help bring us up-to-date with the current literature. The verdict might surprise you.

Changing from a heel striker to a forefoot striker has been proposed for decades. The arguments for such a change follows several theories including:

1. Changing to a forefoot strike help running economy.
2. Changing to a forefoot strike reduces ground reaction forces.
3. Changing to a forefoot strike lowers your risk of injuries.

This paper read by Brodie systematically covers all of these theories and highlights the available evidence to see if their claims hold true. 

Click here to find the Run Smarter App on IOS or Android 

You can also support the podcast for $5AUD per month and interact with the podcast on a deeper level by visiting our patreon page

You can also click here for our smarter runner facebook group