The effects of foot strike on running economy in distance runners: a narrative review

Abstract

Background: Successful distance runners usually demonstrate efficient running economy. Running economy is comprised of many variables, including foot-strike pattern. It is unknown if foot strike pattern has any effect on running economy.Objective: The purpose of this narrative review is to examine recent evidence on the effect of foot strike on running economy in distance runners.Methods: This narrative review indexed the following databases: Medline, CINAHL, SportsDiscus, and PubMed. Articles were included if the study examined correlations or relationships between foot strike pattern and running economy.Results: Five articles satisfied the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Results examining the effect of foot strike on running economy were varied. Two studies demonstrated a significant effect of foot strike on running economy: One study found that midfoot and forefoot strikers were found to have better running economy compared to rear foot strikers (p = 0.019). Another study showed that rear foot strikers demonstrated superior running economy with 5.4% and 9.3% lower VO2 (p < 0.05) at 11 km/h and 13 km/h, respectively. Three studies showed no significant effect of foot strike on running economy.Conclusion: The reviewed studies collectively suggest that foot strike pattern alone is not a determinant of running economy. Further research is needed to discover what particular role or advantages individual foot strike patterns may have on running economy and what other factors and characteristics correlate with running economy and performance.