For years, companies have been hawking vibration as a form of exercise�from those fat-jiggling waist belts in the �80s to the vibrating platforms found in many gyms today. Now, a new study in mice suggests there might be some truth to the idea that a vibrating machine may be able to deliver some of the same benefits as actual physical activity.
The new research, published in the journal Endocrinology, found that mice with diabetes and obesity had similar improvements in muscle mass and insulin sensitivity over 12 weeks when they were assigned to either 45 minutes of daily treadmill walking or 20 minutes of daily whole-body vibration. Both groups gained less weight and improved more in overall health than sedentary mice that received neither intervention.
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Whole-body vibration consists of a person (or, in the study�s case, a mouse) sitting, standing or lying on a platform. The platform�s vibrations send tiny shockwaves through the body, causing muscles to contract and relax multiple times per second.
The obese mice in the study also had low bone density, a common side effect of excess weight in both animals and humans. While treadmill exercise did improve this measure over 12 weeks, the vibration technique did not. Both interventions did, however, increase levels of a protein involved in bone formation, suggesting that longer-term treatments could potentially help prevent future bone loss.
Vibration is not a cure-all for the problems associated with sedentary life, say the study authors, and results seen in mice don�t necessarily translate to humans. Before vibration-based treatments can be widely recommended, these results would need to be replicated in clinical trials. (A 2009 study found that vibration platforms helped obese people lose body fat, but other metabolic benefits have been less studied in people.)
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The authors also point out that the study was designed to test the benefits of vibration on obese, unhealthy mice for whom regular exercise is difficult. Young, healthy mice, who were also included in the study, did not reap the same benefits from the whole-body vibration.
Lead author Meghan McGee-Lawrence, assistant professor of cellular biology and anatomy at Augusta University, says that vibration therapy might be an effective way to help people who are extremely overweight or have other limitations that keep them from regular physical activity.
�If you are able to exercise, we�d still recommend exercise as a first choice option,� says McGee-Lawrence. But for people who find it difficult to work out in a traditional way, �our study suggests it may be possible to obtain some of the same beneficial effects of exercise in a different, less strenuous way.�
For vibration to have these benefits, though, a lot of things have to be just right. �The frequency and magnitude of the stimulus, and how long it�s applied, need to be optimized to achieve the outcome you desire,� says McGee-Lawrence. It is possible to have too much of a good thing, she adds. Exposure to higher-level vibration in occupational settings, for example, can actually have a harmful effect on bone.
Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, says that benefits of whole-body vibration are �100% legit.� Vibration platforms can be used for exercise warm-ups, cool-downs or for certain moves like squats, planks and Pilates poses.
�When you�re on one of these platforms, the oscillations add gravity and force, which are really important for building strength,� he says. For people who are too overweight or too out of shape to exercise safely and comfortably, he adds, vibration training can �introduce exercise to the body in a relatively low-stress environment.�
�Standing on a vibrating platform for 5, 10, 15 minutes can actually make cells stronger, maybe help them lose a little weight, and get them better prepared to eventually start exercising,� he says.
The American Council on Exercise warns that whole-body vibration machines may affect pacemakers and other electronic implants, and that pregnant women and anyone with a history of seizures, tumors or thrombosis should not use them.
For generally healthy people, McCall stresses that they should be used as a supplement to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, not a replacement. �There�s no additional demand for oxygen, so the lungs and heart don�t have to work any harder,� he points out. �It�s not going to give you the important cardiovascular benefits that real exercise will.�
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Overall health and wellness can be achieved by following a proper nutrition and engaging in regular exercise and/or physical activities. While these are some of the most common ways to ensure whole body health and wellness, visiting a qualified and experienced healthcare professional can also grant your body additional benefits. Chiropractic care, for instance, is a safe and effective alternative treatment option utilized by people to maintain well-being.
Spinning might look about the same as outdoor cycling or riding a stationary bike, but in many ways, it�s a far more intense workout�and one of the easiest to overdo.
First, there aren�t many (if any) breaks in spin class. �When you�re biking outside, you have to be aware of road dangers like water and cars, so you have to slow down at times,� says Dr. Maureen Brogan, an assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College who has conducted research into spinning. Especially if you�re a novice road rider, it�s going to take some time before you�re comfortable enough on two wheels to really push yourself hard for long distances. That�s not the case on a spinning bike, where newbies can hop on and ride hard from the start.
Popular spinning studios like Flywheel and SoulCycle have their riders clip their feet into the stationary bikes. As long as the wheels turn, legs keep pumping. Combine this always-working aspect with the thumping music, enthusiastic instructors and energetic group atmosphere of most spinning studios, and it�s easy to get intense exercise and burn calories by the bucketful.
�The muscles you use on a spinning bike, the gluteus maximus and the quadriceps, are some of the largest in your body, so you�re using a lot of energy,� Brogan says�600 calories an hour, and sometimes more.
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This puts spinning near the top of the list when it comes to high-intensity workouts. A study from Sweden found that one hour of spinning was enough to trigger the release of blood chemicals associated with heart stress or changes. While that may sound like a bad thing, these blood chemicals�or biomarkers�signal the heart is getting a good workout. �These kinds of findings have also been seen with prolonged exertion such as marathons,� says study author Dr. Smita Dutta Roy of Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden. While more research is needed to tease out the risks or benefits associated with exercise of this intensity, she says that some of the biomarker shifts her team observed could lead to blood vessel repair and renewal.
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It can also help improve body composition, decrease fat mass and lower blood pressure and cholesterol, says Jinger Gottschall, an associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State University. Some of her research has shown that high-intensity spinning can increase fitness levels even in trained athletes. �In every study we�ve done, we�ve seen increases in heart and lung capacity,� she says. She calls spinning �the optimal cardio workout,� and says you can get all the intensity of a treadmill or stair-climber without the impact.
The low-impact nature of spinning makes it great exercise for older adults or people recovering from orthopedic injuries, she adds. �Because you can adjust the resistance and moderate the pace and intensity of your ride, it opens the door for many people to participate,� she says.
But it�s also easy for people who are new to spinning to overexert themselves. �If you�re not used to vigorous exercise, or to exercising the large lower-body muscles involved in spinning, you can overdo it,� Brogan says. She�s a kidney expert by training, and some of her research has linked spinning to rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscles break down to the point that they release a protein that can poison the kidneys. �People have swollen legs or trouble walking, and sometimes they take aspirin or NSAIDs for the muscle pain, which is the last thing they should do because those can also damage the kidneys,� she says. Problems like this can set in a day or two after spin class, she says.
While overexertion is possible with any form of exercise, she says the risks during spinning may be higher�especially when you consider that some spinners lose up to a liter of water during an hour-long session.
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Even for trained athletes, there�s some evidence that spinning too often may lead to trouble. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research concluded that spinning may push some people past the threshold at which the exercise is beneficial. �If indoor cycling were used as an everyday training activity, it is possible that the overall intensity would be too high and possibly contribute to developing nonfunctional overreaching,� the authors of that study write. (�Nonfunctional overreaching� is sports science lingo for a workout that�s so strenuous it leads to fatigue and performance declines, rather than fitness improvements.)
Overall, spinning is exceptional exercise. But if you�re new to it, you need to ease in and give your muscles time to adapt to its intensity. Even if you�re an experienced athlete, pushing yourself to your limit the first or second time you get on a spinning bike may be risky, Brogan says. Even once you�ve found your spinning legs, daily sessions may still be overkill.
But if you�re looking for a high-intensity workout a few days a week�and especially if running or other forms of vigorous aerobic exercise hurt your joints�spinning may be the ideal way to keep your heart and body in shape.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Overall health and wellness can be achieved by following a proper nutrition and engaging in regular exercise and/or physical activities. While these are some of the most common ways to ensure whole body health and wellness, visiting a qualified and experienced healthcare professional can also grant your body additional benefits. Chiropractic care, for instance, is a safe and effective alternative treatment option utilized by people to maintain well-being.
The first thing you notice when you see the Withings Steel HR is how little it resembles what most of us have come to expect from most fitness trackers in terms of shape and design. At first glance, it looks and feels like a classic analog watch: the silicone strap (or leather, if you choose that option) connects to a slim, round display with minute markers dotting the edges and hands to show you the time. The one giveaway that this is not your typical watch is the small circular OLED display at the top, and little would you know that housed behind that round face is enough hardware to power a very capable fitness tracker.
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The Withings Steel HR (from $179.95, amazon.com, bestbuy.com) has all the standard features one would expect from a fitness tracker: it lets you know how many calories you’ve burned, offers heart-rate monitoring, automatically tracks your sleep, counts your steps, pulls notifications from your phone and has an alarm to gently wake you up.
Aside from its design, one thing that really helps to set the Steel HR apart from a lot of other fitness trackers is its incredible battery life. Most fitness trackers can last you a few days before it needs to be charged again. Withings boasts that it can last up to 25 days on a single charge and that it has the longest battery life of any heart-rate tracker on the market. After spending nearly three straight weeks with the Steel HR on my wrist and over a dozen workouts tracked in that time, there was still enough juice left in the tank to leave me with little reason to doubt them on that claim.
Using the Steel HR is simple enough. There is a single button on the right side of the watch that you press to turn on the display and to cycle through the different stats. It was a minor nuisance having to press the button every time to turn the OLED display on, as the display doesn�t automatically light up if you pull the watch up toward your face. However, the goal meter below the OLED display is a nice touch on the watch face. You can quickly see how close you are to hitting your daily activity goal by looking at the meter as it climbs towards 100%.
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Withings likely had to make some compromises for the sake of battery life and overall look and I found the OLED display to be one of te biggest weaknesses of the watch. While it�s relatively easy to read in regular usage if you�re just casually checking to see how many steps you walked, all of that changes if you�re engaged in a workout or on a run. If you�re running, trying to read the display or cycling through the different screens was a bit of a challenge. And you won�t get a lot of useful real-time feedback during a workout. With such a small screen, you can�t just casually glance at the display to get a quick readout. Notifications from your phone also don�t give you any real useful information.
It appears that GPS functionality was another compromise that Withings likely made. Not every fitness tracker comes equipped with GPS built into the device. Instead, they typically rely on your phone�s GPS to track you. However, the Steel HR isn�t even able to use your phone�s GPS, so it�s hard to put much faith into the accuracy of the distance measurements. It instead uses sensors and data about you to generate the distance, which is far from accurate. If you�re a runner, this is a pretty glaring omission.
Workouts are automatically detected, which seemed to work fine. Like most fitness trackers that have this feature, it will occasionally falter, but you can typically rely on it to record your workout in case you forgot to do so. You also have the option of tracking a workout manually by holding the button on the side, and workouts can be logged in the app after you sync your watch.
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The heart-rate monitor on the Steel HR has two modes: workout and smart mode. Smart mode is constantly running and takes measurements about every 10 minutes, which helps to preserve battery life. However, if you switch to workout mode, it continuously runs throughout your workout. Every fitness tracker that I�ve used has had odd, random spikes that occur every now and then�this was no different for the Steel HR. I frequently wore a Fitbit Charge 2 along with the Steel HR to compare and noticed that the Steel HR always tracked higher than the Fitbit. It wasn�t enough to give me any real cause for concern, but it�s something that should be noted nonetheless. The Steel HR also seemed slower to normalize, frequently spiking at the start of a workout before eventually coming back down to a more reasonable level.
Sleep tracking worked as well as the Fitbit Charge 2, and the fact that you barely notice the watch while you�re wearing it makes it easier to wear at night compared to some of the bulkier fitness trackers out there.
If you�re the type of person that wants the features of a fitness tracker but don�t like how most of them look, the Withings Steel HR may be the tracker for you. It has a sleek and stylish design that looks good whether you�re in the gym or out on the town. Most people that see it won�t even be able to tell that you�re wearing a fitness tracker. For those that may be runners or just a little more serious about fitness, you may find the Steel HR lacks in some areas. Although, even with the compromises that Withings made with the Steel HR, this is the best hybrid option available.
For more information, Please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Overall health and wellness can be achieved by following a proper nutrition and engaging in regular exercise and/or physical activities. While these are some of the most common ways to ensure whole body health and wellness, visiting a qualified and experienced healthcare professional can also grant your body additional benefits. Chiropractic care, for instance, is a safe and effective alternative treatment option utilized by people to maintain well-being.
No matter what size you are, you may have some fat between your back and arms that spills over your bra�also known as “bra bulge.” Some of that’s due to genetics, but an unbalanced workout routine can play a role as well. Many women neglect their arms, chest, and back due to a misguided fear of getting bulky. And while you may not love your bra bulge, a weak upper body can also wreck your posture and bring on back pain.
Barry’s Bootcamp instructor and celeb personal trainer Astrid Swan wants you to get over your fear of upper body workouts, so she created this exclusive routine for Health. This seven-move sequence revs your heart rate to torch calories and melt away fat from your whole body (including your back). Plus, these sculpting exercises will perk up your posture, which may minimize the appearance bra bulge. Use a pair of heavy dumbbells; Swan suggests 12 lb. or higher, depending on your strength level.
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Lower all the way to the floor slowly as you do a pushup. Lay flat and extend arms forward to a superman position, lifting chest and thighs off the floor. Pull elbows down to goal-post position and lower your body down to press back up into the top of the pushup. Do 10 repetitions.
Start in plank position, using the dumbbells as handles. Keep feet slightly wider than hip width, be sure to keep hips parallel to the floor and abs engaged. Alternate renegade rows, 10 repetitions per side, for 20 total reps.
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Start with dumbbells on shoulders, feet hip-width apart with feet slightly turned out. Lower down into a squat position, keeping chest tall and abs engaged. Power from the core and glutes to press the weights above head in a press. Be sure to avoid locking out your knees as you press the weights up to the top. Do 10 reps.
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Combine all three moves minus the superman. Using the dumbbells as handles, do one pushup, at the top of the pushup complete renegade rows on the right side then left side. Next, jump your feet forward sand land in the bottom of your squat. Be sure to keep your core engaged as you thrust the weights above your head. Do 10 repetitions.
Using one dumbbell, bend knees slightly to hoist up the weight and snatch it to the top. Be sure to keep hips tucked and keep a small bend in the knees as you extend the arm. Return to starting position and pass the weight to the other side. Do 10 reps per side.
Depending on your strength, you can continue using both weights or drop down to one. Do a triceps extension slowly; think three counts to lower and one count to press up. Keep your elbows tight, framing your face. Do 10 reps, slowly and with intention.
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Hold one dumbbell on each end. Start with the dumbbell right under your chin, and pass it around your head clockwise for 10 reps, then counterclockwise for another 10 reps. Be sure to keep your elbows tight, framing your face, and bring the weight around your head (like a “halo”) with elbows bent.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Many athletes who are injured performing their specific sport or physical activity, frequently seek treatment from chiropractors. Chiropractic care focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries and conditions affecting the musculoskeletal and nervous system. While chiropractic is a safe and effective form of conservative care for a variety of ailments, chiropractic can also be utilized to enhance athletic performance.
In celebrity yoga instructor Hilaria Baldwin�s new book The Living Clearly Method: 5 Principles for a Fit Body, Healthy Mind & Joyful Life, she outlines her method for combining movement and mindfulness to lead a more balanced life. Her strategy includes five simple principles: perspective, breathing, grounding, balance, and letting go. But how exactly does the celeb and mother of three stay so centered with such a crazy schedule? One of her go-to ways to bring all her principles into practice is through yoga. Watch this video to learn one of Baldwin�s go-to yoga sequences that incorporates all elements of her method into a movement format.
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Here, she guides you through tree pose, high lunge, warrior II, side angle A, plank, chaturanga, upward facing dog, and finally downward facing dog. After completing the sequence on one side, you roll up slowly and repeat it on the other. Within this sequence, you get a touch of balance and grounding, thanks to tree pose. And as you conquer the challenging transitions from high lunge to side angle A, consistent breathing plays a role, helping you get calm and centered.
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Baldwin describes this practice as an �all-purpose flow,� meaning you can do it at any time of day�whether you want to wake your body up in the morning, get your heart rate up in the afternoon, or close out your day the right way with a moving meditation before you go to sleep. Whenever you do this sequence, it�s an efficient workout that can easily become a part of your daily routine. The goal is to simply set aside some time for yourself to help unwind and connect with your body and mind. Watch the video to learn more about how to master this flow.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
If just thinking about a HIIT workout seems tiring, let the music play. A Journal of Sports Sciences study found that when people performed four 30-second all-out sprint intervals on a bike while listening to music, they had a more positive workout experience than when they pedaled without tunes�possibly because music helps distract you from the, uh, discomfort of a tough sprint. Try biking (or running or rowing) it out to one of these songs recommended by Steph Dietz, lead instructor at Cyc Fitness, an indoor-cycling studio chain.
“They�re perfect for intervals because they slowly build to the chorus, where the beat drops, picking up speed and intensity,” says Dietz. “Each song has about two or three HIIT interval builds.”
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Trying to be a better runner? It’s not just about logging miles (although that certainly helps). The key to running strong and long also has a lot to do with shoring up your muscles, activating your core and back in addition to your lower body,�and keeping your movements fluid. To help do that, start incorporating these full-body strengthening�moves from Nike+ Run Club coach Julia Lucas to your routine three days a week, before or after a run. You’ll start noticing a difference in your strength in no time.
1. Planks
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Planks have long been considered one of the best exercises for your core. In addition to your abs, this move engages your back, quads, and hamstrings, making it a great full-body exercise for runners. To do it, get into the �up� part of a push-up, with palms�on the floor directly under shoulders and legs extended behind you, forming a straight�line from head to heels. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, keeping abs tight. Do�2 or 3 sets.
RELATED: 20 Ways to Do a Plank
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Clamshells work your hips and glutes, parts of the body that runners regularly need to activate. To do them, start out by lying�on your side with legs stacked and knees bent at 45 degrees. Rest head on arm; place top hand on hip. With inside edges of feet touching, lift top knee as high as you can without shifting hips or pelvis. Pause; lower knee. Do 2 or 3 sets of 10 reps per side.
Side squats are a great way to strengthen your outer highs, hips, and glutes. To do, stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips; squat. Stand; move left foot a step out. Squat again; step left foot in as you rise. Continue, alternating sides. Do 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side.
Men and women of a certain age realize quickly that their muscles diminish faster than they used to, and that muscles do not respond to exercise the way they used to. A new study shows that it’s all in the mitochondria — the part of the cell responsible for energy and vitality — and there is an exercise plan that can benefit the older crowd, even surpassing — surprisingly — benefits for the younger crowd.
Among various regimens of exercise, researchers found that interval training for a group older than 64 altered the working mechanisms in an amazing 400 genes — compared to only 274 for a group 30 or younger. The vitality in the older crowd’s cells responded more robustly than the younger crowd — adding another layer to the need for older folks to hit the gym.
Here’s how the experiment was conducted: 72 healthy but sedentary men and women were divided into two groups — 30 or younger, or older than 64 by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Their vitals were measured, including blood-sugar levels, gene activity, and mitochondrial health in their muscle cells. Then the volunteers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 exercise regimens.
Some did vigorous weight training several times a week; some did brief interval training three times a week on stationary bicycles (pedaling hard for four minutes, resting for three minutes, then repeating for three times); some rode stationary bikes at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a few times a week and lifted weights lightly on other days. For control purposes, a fourth group did not exercise.
After 12 weeks, vitals were again checked for all involved. All exercise groups experienced improvements in fitness and blood sugar regulation.
Strength and endurance were affected differently, but predictively: The gains in muscle mass and strength were greater for those who exercised only with weights, while interval training had the strongest influence on endurance.
But biopsied muscle cell activity proved to be surprisingly different. Among the 30 and younger who went through interval training, the activity levels had changed in 274 genes, compared with 170 genes for those who exercised more moderately and 74 for the weightlifters. In the older crowd, almost 400 genes were working differently — more activley — for interval training, compared with 33 for the weightlifters and only 19 for the moderate exercisers.
Those who did the interval workouts showed increases in the number and health of their mitochondria. The takeaway: Interval training seems to be the best way to achieve vital cell health for muscle mass —particularly for those who are age 64 and older. Better muscle mass means a healthier, stronger body.
The decline in the cellular health of muscles associated with aging seemed corrected with interval exercise, especially if intense, Dr. Sreekumaran Nair, a professor of medicine and an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic and the study’s senior author, told The New York Times. Moreover, as his results show, older people’s cells responded in some ways more intensely than the cells of the younger group — suggesting, he says, it is never too late to benefit from exercise. Nair and his research team’s results were published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
New research has found more evidence to suggest a positive link between exercise and depression, this time finding that children who exercise could benefit from a reduce risk of developing depression in the future.
Carried out by a team from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and University of Calgary researchers at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, the study is the first meta-analysis to examine the potential protective effect of childhood physical activity on depression later in life.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association 3.2 million children in Canada between the ages of 12 and 19 are at risk for developing depression.
A number of exercise intervention programs for children have been launched in recent years to support treatment for mental health issues, however current research shows large discrepancies on the effectiveness of exercise. Although some studies show strong support for physical activity’s effect on reducing depression, other studies show no relationship at all.
To look further into the validity of exercise interventions based on the existing evidence the team conducted a meta-analysis of 40 studies involving a total of 90,000 participants between the ages of eight and 19 years old. Study participants were healthy and had not been diagnosed with depression.
The team found a statistically significant association between increased physical activity and a lower risk of future depressive symptoms; however, the link was not as strong as they expected.
Explaining the results principal investigator, Dr. Daphne Korczak, said, “This suggests that physical activity is one factor, but that there are other factors that are important in determining a child’s risk for developing depression,” adding that factors such as having a family history of depression, particularly in a parent, or struggling at school academically or socially can all play a role.
Korczak added that further research looking at children with depression or examining the frequency, type or intensity of exercise would be useful in developing a better understanding of how physical activity affects the brain and the body to impact someone’s mood.
The Canadian Psychological Association recommends children and adolescents get 60 minutes of physical activity a day, but statistics published by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology suggest that only 15 percent of children (5 to 11 years) and five percent of adolescents (12 to 17 years) meet this recommended amount.
The study can be found online published in the journal Pediatrics.
Historically athletes were barefoot in the sporting arena and it is only a relatively recent phenomenon for shoes to be worn in competition. In Roman times wrestlers competed barefoot, whilst runners wore little more than thin leather sandals to compete over long distances.
More recently several athletes have achieved significant success competing barefoot: Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia won the Rome Olympic marathon in 1960, and Zola Budd became the world record holder over 5000 meters. Since the 1970�s athletic shoe manufacture has boomed and with it so too has the incidence of running-related lower limb injuries. This prompted the question of whether these new designs were to blame for the injuries or simply reflected the growing interest in distance running as a sport. That notwithstanding, the interest around barefoot running to reduce such injuries has grown exponentially. This account aims to appraise some of the literature on this contentious subject.
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The normal gait cycle consists of both stance and swing phases. The stance phase occupies 60% and swing 40% of the time taken to complete one cycle of consecutive heel striking by the same foot. The stance phase itself is divided into contact, midstance and propulsive phases. It begins and ends with both feet in contact with the ground known as the �double support phase�. The swing phase is divided into follow-through, forward swing and foot descent phases. The phases of running are very similar except for the fact that there is a flight phase when neither foot is in contact with the ground between stance phases. Evidently, with slower jogging the stance phase is longer than the flight phase, however, during sprinting this relationship reverses and the stance phase becomes the shorter of the two phases.
There are several key biomechanical considerations that must be borne in mind before a comparison can be made between barefoot and shod running. During running there is an increase in rotation at the pelvis, hip, and knee which must be absorbed by increasing the muscle forces acting over these joints. Moreover, as running speed increases the point of foot impact changes from predominantly heelstriking to that of forefoot weight-bearing when sprinting. The normal angle of gait is approximately 100 abducted from the line of progression. As speed increases this angle decreases approaching zero as the foot strike nears the line of progression. Runners who have developed stride patterns that incorporate low levels of impact force and rapid pronation are at a reduced risk for over-use running injuries such as stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and ligamentous sprains. It is important to note that many shod runners never develop injuries, however, the available data indicates that 19-79% will develop an injury over their years spent running.
Excessive Pronation � Pronation of the foot occurs at the sub-talar joint and when it occurs in excess is associated with many running-related injuries. Examples include, first metatarsophalangeal joint abnormalities, medial arch and plantar fascia strain, Achilles and tibialisposterior tendinopathy, patellofemoral joint dysfunction, and stress fractures. One study illustrated that shod running decreased torsion and increased pronation significantly, the paper concluded that the reduction in torsion produced by stiff soled shoes may well be a factor in running injuries caused by excessive pronation.
This movement also occurs at the subtalar joint and may compensate for a weakness of the antagonist pronating musculature (e.g. peroneal) or as a result of spasm or tightness of the supinating musculature (e.g. tibialis posterior, and the gastrocnemius- soleus complex). The supinated foot is less mobile and provides inferior shock-absorption which may well predispose to the development of stress fractures of the tibia, fibula, calcaneus and metatarsals. Lateral instability of the foot and ankle may be associated with excessive supination resulting in an increase incidence of ligamentous sprains of the foot and ankle. Such a lateral stress on the lower limb could result in tightening of the ileo-tibial band with associated bursitis of the femoral epicondyle.
During normal running the pelvis assumes a rotated position with anterior-posterior and lateral tilt. Weakness in the muscles needed for stabilisation of this position will result in excessive movement in any one of the three planes. A less efficient transfer of force will subsequently occur. The most common pelvic abnormalities are excessive anterior tilt, excessive lateral tilt and asymetrical pelvic movement. The complex inter-play of musculature to compensate for each of these abnormalities may well result in muscle tightness, strains and tendinopathy. Adaptation and biomechanics of running barefoot A leading study on the subject of barefoot running was conducted by Lieberman et al. who compared foot striking patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot with shod runners. They found that habitually barefoot endurance runners often land on the fore-foot (fore-foot strike) before bringing down the heel. Less frequently they may also land with a flat foot (mid-foot strike), or even less often, on the heel (rear-foot strike). In contrast, shod runners mostly rear-foot strike which is facilitated by the elevated and cushioned heel of the modern running shoe.
The same study conducted kinematic and kinetic analyses on the two populations and discovered that even on hard surfaces, barefoot runners who fore-foot strike generate smaller collision forces than shod rear-foot strikers. This is brought about by the manner in which the barefoot runner�s foot is more plantarflexed at landing with a greater degree of ankle compliance at impact. These features combine to decrease the effective mass of the body that collides with the ground and so potentially reducing injury through repeated heavy loading. In addition, the stride length of barefoot runners is shorter and the strides have a greater vertical leg compliance which acts to lower the body�s centre of mass relative to the force of impact. Again, these features work to reduce jarring and result in a smoother running motion experienced by the individual.
It has been surmised that modern footwear produces a lower level of perceived foot impact than that actually experienced and thus increases injury risk. There is good evidence to show that the more cushioning runners believe to be under the foot, the harder they strike. Furthermore, modern shoe designs are far more forgiving on poor running technique and since the athlete suffers less pain bad habits become re-inforced. In contrast, barefoot runners have been found to have a reduction in impact peak with reduced mechanical stress and enhanced ankle extensor function. In one particular study peak load in the hip and knee joints of participants with osteoarthritis was decreased significantly in barefoot walkers. These findings appear to point to the supposition that shoes may increase loads in poor physiological patterns and thus perpetuate injury.
Bipedalism has been around for millions of years and it is only relatively very recently that humans have been shod. The running technique of early distance running bipeds almost certainly differed enormously from the style that is seen today with modern foot-wear. The pre-historic �hunter-gatherer� would be more likely to have had a fore-foot or mid-foot-strike gait which studies have shown to be protective from many of the running injuries seen today.
Modern running shoes allow a greater degree of �laziness� in running style and in so doing ingrain bad habits which ultimately predispose to injury. Information on how barefoot running can be integrated into one�s training and how to overcome the obvious hazards of penetrating and friction injuries are growing at a great rate through internet forums and sites. There are already products available such as the Vibram FiveFingers� which are gaining in
popularity as the option of running barefoot or �nearly barefoot� grows. Furthermore, interest in the subject has been helped enormously by popular literature such as the bestselling book �Born to Run� by Christopher McDougall which follows the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico who run ultra-marathons in simple leather strapped sandals.
In short, the evidence indicates two clear points. Firstly, from observations of populations who run barefoot or are habitually barefoot there appears to be lower injury rates versus the shod population. Secondly, the wearing of modern running shoes promotes a heavy impacting heelstrike gait which predisposes to injury. For the subject to gain wide-spread acceptance there will need to be an increase in the number of well designed prospective and randomised controlled trials on the subject.
References:
1. Clinical Sports Medicine by Peter Brukner and Karim Khan. Third Edition, Chapter 3; pp.45-55
2. Hreljac A. Impact and overuse injuries in runners.
Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36:845-9 3. van Gent RN, Siem D, van Middelkoop M, van Os AG, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, Koes BW. Incidence and
determinants of lower extremity running injuries in long distance runners: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med 2007; 41(8):469-80
4. Buschbacher R, Prahlow N, Dave SJ (eds). Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation: A Sports Specific
Approac, 2nd ed. Baltimore (MD): Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2008, p. 200-1
5. Stacoff A, Kaelin X, Stuessi, Segesser B. The torsion of the foot in running. Int J Biomech 1989; 5:375-89
6. Lieberman DE, Venkadesan M, Werbel WA, Daoud AI, D-Andrea S, Davis IS, Mang-Eni RO, Pitsiladis Y. Foot strike patterns and collision forces in the
habitually barefoot versus shod runners. Nature 2010; 463:531-535 7. Jungers WL. Barefoot running strikes back. Nature
2010; 463:433-434 8. Robbins S, Waked E. Hazard of deceptive advertising of athletic footwear. Br J Sports Med
1997; 31(4):299-303. 9. Divert C, Mornieux G, BaurH, et al. Mechanical comparison of barefoot and shod running. Int J
Sports Med 2005; 26:593-8 10. Shakoor N, Block JA. Walking barefoot decreases loading on the lower extremity joints in knee
osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2006; 54:2923-7 11. Christopher McDougall. Born to run: the hidden
tribe, the ultra-runners and the greatest race the world has never seen. Profile books, published 2009.
12. Robbins SE, Hanna AM. Running-related injury prevention through barefoot adaptations. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1987.;19:148-56
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
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