Barefoot running remains a hot topic, and with any hot topic comes strong opinion — often ill-founded. One of the greatest claims of the barefoot running revolution has been that running barefoot reduces injury risk for distance runners. I must admit, I sit very firmly on the fence here. I came to barefoot running with long term plantar fasciitis and also tendency to suffer with runners knee (patellofemoral
Oxygen cost of running barefoot
Barefoot running has obviously become more common in recent years. Indeed, the running media (heavily reliant on advertising revenue from shoe manufacturers) seem to have ended their head-in-the-sand attitude and have printed several articles on the advantages or disadvantages of running barefoot. This is certainly due partly to the big players in running shoe manufacture releasing barefoot oriented,
Plantar fasciitis: calf stretching, and other treatments
Plantar fasciitis is certainly one of the most common running injuries. According to research carried out by the Sports Medicine Centre, University of British Columbia, it is 3rd on the list after runners’ knee and ITB (iliotibial band) friction syndrome. Not only is it very common,
Don’t believe a word — knee pain
Here in the UK many runners are knee deep in their marathon training for London or Brighton marathons in April. Some are training for the distance for the first time, others have been at it for years. Most will have completed the bulk of their long runs, and many will have had to deal with the injuries and niggles that are all part of endurance running training.
I wonder how many runners will have
More on ice baths
As usual, the popular press report what they think will sell the papers, the results being half a story; my previous post is a great example.
It’s worth going to the horses mouth, looking at the English Institute of Sport’s news, gives us a little more info.
“In competition scenarios ice baths are beneficial because athletes are required to perform again in close succession so their
More on beetroot juice and nitric oxide supplementing
Following on from the previous article about beetroot juice and endurance exercise, Exeter University has been conducting further research on nitric oxide supplements (beetroot is rich in nitrates that produce nitric oxide in the body).
This confirmed what was previously found and will be very interesting for endurance athletes because the supplement could improve race times by 1-2%, translating