Running Barefoot - New craze or old school?

Posted at 19:21 on Jul 27, 2010 by Muscle Blog

It seems one of the latest crazes is to run around barefoot. But just how crazy is that?

If we look back in the annals of time, we were originally hunter gatherers. We did not have Nike running shoes and did not worry about the latest trends. In fact, we were originally designed to be barefoot. Genetically, our body is designed to walk barefoot. The body is created to support bare foot. So is it really that crazy that going back to basics is a way to return to our "human heritage".

The barefoot craze has also been seen in top flight levels too, with many famous runners like Zola Budd and Abebe Bikila breaking records without shoes. So it is clearly not a hindrance to athletic performance. Clearly there is modern technology to suggest that footwear can reduce muscle fatigue and prevent injury through cushioning, but the foot has built in cushions in the heel and ball.

In fact gait analysis experts would suggest that running barefoot has inherent benefits to the human body and how it moves. The alignment of muscles and bones are kept straighter allowing the body to function more efficiently, and as such minimise energy wastage. Further, correct alignment of the lower limbs reduces the chance of developing injuries and so will allow you to go for longer as well.

So is this "back to the old days" idea of barefoot running really good or bad. I guess that depends on who you work for. I am sure the shoe manufacturers will preach to the masses about the benefits of pronation and suppination support to align the foot through the use of their cushioning systems, and the significant advantage you get as a result. On the other side of the fence is the naturalist that says the cave men running away from dinosaurs didn't seem to worry.

Whichever side of the fence you sit on (and let's face it most of us prefer to run in shoes) there is solid arguments to support both cases. I know I certainly wouldn't run around my local streets barefoot (or many places for that matter) for fear of treading on glass or similar objects, as walking across a pebbled beach causes me enough discomfort, but ultimately go with whatever you prefer the feel of!

If you want to improve your running performance, whether barefoot or with trainers, you can use sports nutrition to power your needs. Why not read our comprehensive article on Running Fuel to see how you can achieve more, faster and better every time. 

Whatever your activity, barefoot or not, you can fuel your running and improve your performance through effective sports nutrition. 

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