POSE IN PRESS A collection of articles about Pose Method and Dr.Romanov in various publications.
YourMarathon.com (Switzerland)
2004
SPECIAL TOPICS: BAREFOOT RUNNING
by Dr. Harald Zotter, M.D., specializing in rehabilitation and sports medicine
Contrarily to popular belief, Barefoot running is less traumatizing than running with shoes, especially with expensive ones. Walking and running barefoot is the most natural way of locomotion. However, there is a risk of getting cuts from sharp devices on the ground. On the other hand, when you run barefoot you lower the trauma to your joints and soft tissues, such as the plantar fascia, which is the ligament running along the sole of the foot, or the Achilles tendon.
During barefoot running, the pattern of movement (kinematics) is different from shod running. As a matter of fact, one lands with a flatter foot and has a higher stride frequency and thus a lower peak heel pressure (1). When you run barefoot, you have a technique that is not only less traumatizing, but also more efficient. Studies have shown that one wastes about 4% more energy while running with shoes. This is probably due to the weight of the shoes and the impaired running technique.
The purpose of barefoot running is to improve running technique. If you are no used to it, try it out only a few minutes the first times, during the recovery runs. It is good to perform it once or twice a week on a surface where the risk of encountering a sharp objects is very low. Run on different types of ground, such as track, road and grass. This will give you different feedbacks and you will thus be able to make better adjustments of your running technique.
The ideal way of running has been described by Dr. Nicholas Romanov, that he called the Pose Running. A study on this technique, published this year in collaboration with the famous sports physiologist Tim Noakes proved that there is less stress on the knee with the Pose running Method. (2).
To learn more about the ideal running technique, you can read the e-book Beyond Marathon or visit the website of Dr. Romanov.
- De Wit B, De Clercq D, Aerts P. Biomechanical analysis of the stance phase during barefoot and shod running. J Biomech. 2000 Mar;33(3):269-78.
- Arendse RE, Noakes TD, Azevedo LB, Romanov N, Schwellnus MP, Fletcher G. Reduced eccentric loading of the knee with the pose running method. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004 Feb;36(2):272-7.
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