According to Runners’ World, “most Kenyans have a balanced running posture… with the shoulders always slightly forward of their hips. This extends their forward momentum with each stride and results in a natural heel kickup.” Sadly, there are no photographs to substantiate these statements.
If you look at films of the Kenyans running, they have an upright posture. They are not leaning forward. If you look at the support phase, you may see the shoulders slightly in front of the hips. This occurs for cushioning on the landing, but in the push-off, you see a very erect body position until the next footstrike.
This is why articles dealing with technique should have sequential pictures taken from live running digital video so that you can see exactly what is occurring and then evaluate how effective the various joint actions are. This however is rarely if ever done. This is why we keep reading more unsubstantiated articles.
For example, the author states that their forward momentum results in a natural heel kickup, but how does this occur? It is well documented that the heel kickup in bona fide runners occurs from a powerful push-off directed to the rear. What specifically this means powerful ankle joint extension.
How does body posture relate to the push-off? This is not answered in the article. The author also states that a forward leaning stance also helps to reduce injury risk, but yet, according to scientific studies, having your weight forward of your center of gravity leads to greater landing forces, not decreased, and as a result, more injuries, not less.
It is stated that running upright can cause a heel strike that causes greater shock to your joints and muscles. But, it is not upright running that causes the heel strike or greater shock. The shock depends upon how you land, not on what your posture is.
Posture is a learned habit, not one that is natural. It is possible to find as many runners with a heel strike running with a forward lean as it is with those running upright. It is even possible to find some runners almost leaning backwards so that their weight is on the back of the leg rather than front or middle.
The author also states that when you “bring your hands up to chest level and pull your elbows back so that your chest thrusts forward a bit… you will feel yourself start to lean forward. This posture increases forward momentum…” But getting the chest out in front actually gives you a more upright position, not a forward leaning position. Try it, you’ll see.
When you lean forward, you typically have more rounding of the shoulders. Bringing the shoulders back and getting the chest out helps to maintain the arch in your lumbar spine to maintain the upright position. This is good posture and does not lead to greater momentum. A forward lean moves your center of gravity out in front which forces you to bring your legs up faster to maintain balance.
Having your shoulders in front of the hips means that you will be falling forward!
For accuracy in writing about what occurs in running, statments should be based on film analyses, not on what he or she thinks takes place by looking at a runner run. The eyes are not capable of seeing the fine points of running. However this appears to be a long way off as most running magazines merely reiterate opinions and present little in the way of scientific fact.
Read Explosive Running and Build a Better Athlete for more details on effective running technique with accompanying sequential pictures taken from live digital film.