Two articles appeared in a recent issue of Triathlete Magazine that on the surface appeared to be quite advanced. In reality however, they may be setting back progress in running. They appear to have ignored the basics of strength training.
For example, both articles were related to some of the latest advances in shoe styles, to be more specific, unconventional shoe styles. One of the shoes mimics being barefoot while the other shoe is reported to promote instability. Both of these shoe styles have gained quite a following in recent years.
These shoes are reported to improve fitness, burn calories, prevent injuries and increase strength. It is interesting to note that they do not promote faster or more efficient running. Shouldn’t this be a prime objective of supplementary “tools” that runners and other athletes use?
One of the shoes simulates barefoot running as they have minimum foot support and the soles are thin enough to activate reflexes in the sole of the foot. In addition, to being used for running, these shoes are now being used in weight training to “… get a lot more out of the strength training program from the stabilizer muscles.” According to some experts the athletes develop tendon strength, muscular strength and muscular power.
These are very lofty expectations. How they are achieved simply from using the shoes while doing strength training exercises is never explained. Most likely it never will be because the statement is an exaggeration of the outcomes possible. Tendon strength, muscular strength and muscular power are achieved not only from the weights that are used but also the number of repetitions and sets. These outcomes will be possible regardless of the footwear.
The benefits from the other shoe -for instability- touted in the article that was used during load bearing exercise were quite varied. Keep in mind that the shoes have an uneven sole that requires the wearer to activate the stabilizer muscles in order to maintain the foot in good position and to maintain balance. Running exacerbates the problem requiring more constant firing of the stabilizer muscles.
According to an EMG study on the use of these shoes it was found that the stabilizer muscles contract more frequently, but not with more force, when wearing the instability shoes in comparison to wearing standard running shoes. According to the author, using these shoes in exercises such as lunges and squats will increase the athlete’s functional strength and help him avoid injury.
Without knowing what functional strength means in this article it is difficult to evaluate this statement. That instability shoes may help runners avoid injury is also misleading as it does not spell out what types of injuries or which joints may be more protected. To make blanket statements such as this is usually a cover-up for the ineffectiveness of a particular product.
Probably the most disappointing aspect of this article is a lack of attention given to running technique and how the shoes affect running distance, running times, and running efficiency. This is the ultimate goal of all strength training, or at least it should be. Understand that most injuries are due to improper technique and a lack of strength that is specific to the technique.
These are the two key factors but they are ignored when discussing the shoes. Also lacking is comparison to a basic strength training program that addresses the strength of the foot and ankle. There are many strength exercises that can be done for the foot, foot arch and ankle. Rather than relying on a shoe to strength these body parts – and then only by developing the stabilizer muscles or more specifically, the stabilizer function of the muscles. In reality, there are no true “stabilizer” muscles.
Much more effective would be to do select strength exercises to target these muscles and then to use progressive resistance type programs to ensure continuing gains in strength. Keep in mind that when you use the shoes, you level off in your development since there is no additional resistance being placed on the muscles when you become accustomed to their use. In fact, at this time there will probably be less muscular involvement because of the development received.
For more information on running technique exercises specific to running technique see Explosive Running.