In recent years, several studies have emerged demonstrating that forefoot strike running seems
to correlate better with less impact stress on the shins than heel strike running and because of
this, the risk of shin fracture may be much lower in forefoot running than in heel strike running.
One reason the tibia or shin bone may be more safeguarded from fracture in forefoot running
than in heel strike running is that research has found that landing forefoot-first during running
has the main effect of enabling the foot to land closer to under the knee and the hips, but also
results in the shin being aligned more vertically at touchdown, meaning the shin isn't tilted
outward from the knee, rather the shin is aligned more straight up and down upon and at touchdown.
This positional arrangement of the shin at touchdown in forefoot running results in a lesser
magnitude of the brake force because initial foot strike position is closer to the hips, which is
also the center of mass, and this reduced distance was found to offer big relief in opposing forces,
such as reductions in compressive loading and impact forces in the vertical and anteroposterior
directions on the shin, which means there’s less impact forces attacking the front and
the back of the shins and are all associated with a reduced risk of shin fracture, whereas in heel
strike running, the shin may be under stronger compressive pressure because at heel strike,
the shin is tilted in front of the knee and the hips which also means the ankle and the foot
is positioned farther ahead from the center mass. This positional arrangement puts the shin on
a damaging collision course because there’s a longer distance separation between initial foot
strike position and the center of mass of which in this condition, the center of mass crashes head-on
more intensively with the stance leg and does so for an extended period of time. Out of this,
a heavier foot strike intensity followed by greater compressive loading on the lower leg are
produced which was found to cause tibial or shin impact force frequencies to increase to exceed
normal. These increases in impact force variables are significantly linked to an increased risk for
shin fractures. But another way the shins may be more protected from impact stress
in forefoot running than in heel strike running is that a 2015 study in the journal,
Footwear Science (which is linked down below the video in the description box) found that forefoot
striking during running enhanced pre-activations of the calf musculature which was directly related
to improved shock attenuation on the shin which in turn resulted in a lesser fraction of tibial
shock absorption as compared with heel strike running. Simply put, less tibial impact shock
and stress may be loaded through the shins in forefoot running because forefoot striking
during running initiates higher engagements of the calf muscles in acting as shock absorbers,
making the calves better able at preventing increases in impact from spread out on and up
through the shin. Better yet, a 2010 study in the journal, Nature, which is also linked down below
the video in the description box, yielded another layer of tibial-impact-protection that forefoot
running may provide, the researchers found that landing with a forefoot strike during running
engaged a more compliant ankle-joint at touchdown which not only held the foot more stable, but had
an effect of helping deflect impact shock away from the tibia. Knowing all this has important
implications for how we think about the influence of foot strike pattern on injury in running in
that forefoot running has consistently been found to do more to significantly limit mechanical
stress and impact loading on many components of the lower leg, like the shins, and to reiterate,
forefoot running does so by improving the directional movement of the tibia at touchdown,
prompting more effective response in impact absorption at the calves while improving the
properties of motion or kinematics at the ankle all of which does enough to reduce damaging impact
stress on the shins as compared with heel strike running. I hope you’ve enjoyed this video. If you
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where you will stay more informed on forefoot strike running vs heel strike running. Thank
you so much for listening and watching. Have fun out there on the roads and trails. Bye for now.