I agree – a long term acclimation study would be very cool.

Your experience is why I don’t think minimalism is a fad – most people I
know who have made the switch claim they will never go back, even many of
those who have been injured in the transition. Personally, I don’t see
myself ever running in a heavy shoe with a 12mm heel lift again, even if I
break my foot tomorrow. I just vastly prefer the feel of the ground
underfoot.

A few things – this is an abstract and not a peer reviewed manuscript, so
the details are not fleshed out as much as in the Lieberman paper. Second,
there is always a loading rate, even if the transient is absent. They just
measure the slope of the curve that corresponds to the time of the transient
if it were present. Third, to me the acclimation issue is a big one –
results might be different if someone is running barefoot for the first time
versus having done so for many months.

Here’s a link to another new study, this one done by a high schooler:  http://runningtimes.com/Articl…

I’m not much of a scientist, so I won’t comment on the study.  I am just glad to see such a young kid adding to the growing list of studies on running.

Enjoy,
Aaron

Here’s the abstract: 
Rebecca Leong
First-Place: $50,000 ScholarshipColumbia River High SchoolVancouver, Washington
The Effect of Footwear Habits of Long-Distance Runners on Running-Related Injury: A Prospective Cohort
Abstract
Every
year, approximately 60 percent of long-distance runners will suffer a
running-related injury that not only temporarily affects their training,
but can also have long-term psychological and physical effects.
Following recent publications, barefoot running has gained attention for
its claim to reduce running-related injury and promote a natural
running stride. This study directly compares injury rates between
barefoot and shod runners, and for the first time quantitatively
evaluates the risk present in transitioning from shod to barefoot
running. The following question will be examined: How does footwear
habit (barefoot, transitioning or shod) affect the injury rates of
long-distance runners? A series of surveys were e-mailed to participants
to record running habits and injuries suffered over a course of 12
weeks. The data supported that runners transitioning from shod to
barefoot running had the highest prevalence, with an average of 32
percent of its runners in an injured state each week. Shod runners had
the lowest prevalence, with 21 percent and barefoot runners (prevalence
of 29 percent) were in the middle. Furthermore, relative risk
calculations, which are based on a ratio of prevalence, showed that
barefoot runners are 1.35 times as likely to suffer an injury as shod
runners. Transitioning runners are 1.48 times as likely as shod runners
to suffer an injury. This study supports that shod running presents the
lowest risk of injury for distance runners. Despite recent speculation,
barefoot running in industrialized countries does not appear to reduce
running-related injury. Thus it is not recommended that healthy runners
transition to barefoot running for the sole purpose of reducing injury
risk.

When I was a heel striker, with big shoes (NB 1050) my quads would get sore much much quicker and the soreness could last for days (DOMS) depending on how hard I pushed. Now with a forefoot strike and minimal shoes (Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove) I can run for hours, hard! and not have sore quads at all. My Achilles are sometimes a little sore but nothing like the quad pain that I got when heel striking.

The other thing that I’m curious about is the affect that forefoot striking has on the calf muscles. Does a forefoot striker end up have larger calf muscles and if so, how does the extra weight affect performance?

I should also re-emphasize that Lieberman essentially showed the same thing
with regard to VILR. It was the impact peak that he found to be absent.

Thanks for clearing that up! It would be nice to see some research on runners who have transitioned from shod to barefoot running.

Also, good questions about quads and calves, and I don’t have an answer. I
don’t know that my calves have necessary gotten larger, but they feel more
toned. An MRI study should be able to answer this pretty easily.

I totally agree with you on this Pete. I injured myself in April while transitioning to a more “minimal/natural” running gait with a midfoot/forefoot strike (like most I’d been a heel-striker for most of my life). I was stupid and went from running 3-4 miles every 2-3 days to running 7 miles one day then 6 miles the next. My new running “style” just allowed me to enjoy it so much more than I ever had before, and I did too much too fast. I’ve since recovered and am sticking to a 10% plan to get me to the CIM in December. I’ll never go back! I love running free and light too much to ever buy the “gold standard” 12mm heel lift heavily-cushioned shoes again.