Comments on: Underfoot Pressure Tracings of Forefoot, Midfoot, and Heel Strikes in Barefoot Runners: We All Supinate!

By: Philip Marshman

Philip Marshman — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

There are some rare individuals who neither pronate nor supinate, usually after massive traumatic injury or rear foot fusions! Pronation and supination, as you've already stated, are normal motions in gait. It's when, and how much, and how it relates to stress within tissues.

By: François

François — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Quite obvious on videos taken on a treadmill too (he is a midfoot striker)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
It’s not that obvious on my own stride, but it’s still true.

By: Pete Larson

Pete Larson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Philip Marshman.

Good point on that exception :)

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By: Pete Larson

Pete Larson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to Eric Johnson.

My personal feeling is you can add shoes with toe pockets that are difficult to flex and extend to the list of risk factors for 2nd met stress fractures - if the toes cn't flex well to take the load off the met heads, more strain put on the mets. Vibrams are the only shoe that ever cause my mets to ache...

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Pete Larson's Web Links:
My book: Tread Lightly - http://ow.ly/bdUO0
Blog: https://runblogger.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/oblinkin
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By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Interesting that the rearward migration of the center of pressure marker on the plot decreases as you go from fore, to mid, to heal strike. The heal strikers have no rearward movement of the the center of pressure. I guess this is one of those “duh” of course kinds of observations but still neat to see with real data rather than anecdote. What I’d like to see is how the movement of the center of pressure (along the two dimensions presented–sagittal and coronal) is related to peak loading. We already know that it is qualitatively right? Forefoot strikers tend to have lower peak loading, etc… But this approach would allow for a more quantitative investigation. So would be neat to see the mathematical relationship between the direction, shape of path, and rate of change of the center of pressure vector with that of the loading function.

By: Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

good post, pete. also worth noting on 2nd met stress fractures is their relationship to foot structure and stability/mobility of the runner.

both a forefoot varus and morton's toe are examples of structures that limit the ability of the runner to get the big toe down to form a stable tripod. if you can't get the big toe down, the 2nd met will be accepting greater forces at toe off...and it's not hard to see how that can increase stress fracture risk

a person can also have strength or mobility deficits that basically cause the same issue.

examples:

*inadequate abductor strength can cause a cross over gait (running with feet on the same line rather than on separate tracks below the knees and hips)...limiting ability to get big toe down

*limited hallux ROM

Eric Johnson, Manager
Ultramax Sports
www.ultramaxsports.com