The Risks and Benefits of Running Barefoot or in Minimalist Shoes

 

RunningResearch :Nine formal systematic reviews of the evidence have so far been published looking at the evidence on barefoot or minimalist running having systematic benefits or not. Every single one of them concluded the same thing (reviewed here and here and here). Despite those conclusions, all by people from different backgrounds and published in a variety of different journals, you still see claims that the evidence is that there are systematic benefits. I can’t figure that out. Now we have yet another systematic review of the evidence:

Kinematic and Kinetic Risk Factors for Running Injury

 

RunningResearch :It is always good to see prospective studies on risk factors for injury. Prospective studies carry a lot more weight than cross-sectional studies and require a lot more work on the part of the researchers. This one caught my eye a few months ago, but all sorts of events prevented me getting to it until now:

A prospective comparison of lower extremity kinematics and kinetics between injured and non-injured collegiate cross country runners
Robert I. Dudley, Derek N. Pamukoff, Scott K. Lynn, Robert D. Kersey, Guillermo J. Noffal
Human Movement Science; Volume 52, April 2017, Pages 197–202

Differences in Sex and Running Ability Influence Declines in Marathon Performance, Study Finds

Georgia: A person’s sex and running ability play a role in the decline of their performance in marathons as they get older, according to a Georgia State University study.“We found that marathon performance decline begins at about 35 years old,” said Dr. Gerald Zavorsky, lead author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Respiratory Therapy at Georgia State. “For top runners, we determined the slowdown is about two minutes per year beginning at age 35 for men, and for women, it’s actually a little bit statistically faster of a slowdown, around two minutes and 30 seconds per year beginning at the age of 35.”

Runners' Brains May Have More Connectivity, Research Shows

University of Arizona: If you're thinking about taking up running as your New Year's resolution and still need some convincing, consider this: MRI scans reveal that endurance runners' brains have greater functional connectivity than the brains of more sedentary individuals. University of Arizona researchers compared brain scans of young adult cross country runners to young adults who don't engage in regular physical activity. The runners, overall, showed greater functional connectivity — or connections between distinct brain regions — within several areas of the brain, including the frontal cortex, which is important for cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making and the ability to switch attention between tasks.

The best time for marathon runners to get on the road

TheConversation: Running has been a popular recreational activity for many years. But for marathon runners who train outdoors, the significant proportion of time they spend in the sun means they are potentially exposed to harmful rays. Solar ultraviolet radiation can lead to sunburn, fatal skin cancers and cataracts – particularly when the exposure to the sun is for a long time or during the hottest time of the day. For runners, timing their sun exposure and protecting themselves from excess solar ultraviolet radiation are important in preventing the harmful effects of sun rays.

The secret to Usain Bolt’s speed may lie in synchronicity

Sydney: Usain Bolt is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He is the fastest man in the world, holding the 100 metre sprint record of 9.58 seconds, which he achieved at the final of the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin. Bolt's growing collection of world records and Olympic medals gives the impression that no one can stop him. But he might not only be a stellar athlete, endowed with longer strides than his competitors and more powerful muscles. He might also have a clever trick up his sleeve. Our recent study with Associate Professor Michael J. Richardson published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance suggests that Bolt might actually gain a benefit from running in step with his competitors.

Distance running is a perfect lab to investigate whether men are more competitive than women

TheConversation: What are the psychological differences between women and men? What causes these differences, and are they shrinking over time? The dominant view – held by most scholars and policymakers – is that sex differences are slight and can be rather easily altered. Whether this view is true or not has implications for policy, such as Title IX, the federal law that aims to provide men and women with equal access to educational opportunities, including athletic opportunities.

Are marathon men the best in bed?

NHS: Researchers wanted to see if running prowess in males could be a sign of their evolutionary reproductive potential (as measured by their 2D:4D ratio). They found that men with more "masculine" digit ratios – i.e. longer ring fingers – did better in the 2013 Robin Hood half marathon in Nottingham than those with the "least masculine" ratios. The same link was found in women, albeit to a lesser degree. Researchers did not look at whether these more "masculine" men were judged to be more attractive by women.