CASHP
doctoral candidate Kevin Hatala, alumna Heather Dingwall, and Chair and
Professor Brian Richmond, along with James Madison University professor Roshna Wunderlich,
published a paper in PLOS One last
month. The paper, entitled “Variation in Foot Strike Patterns during Running
among Habitually Barefoot Populations,” discusses the strike pattern during
running. The researchers carried out the project in northern Kenya with the
help of the Daasanach people, who grow up barefoot. Scholars have long
hypothesized that populations who grow up wearing shoes move their feet
differently during walking and running than peoples who grow up without shoes.
The results demonstrate that the Daasanach people strike their heel first
during slow running, though they strike with the middle and front of the foot when
speed increases.
The publication
is available at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0052548
The
publication was also covered by several news outlets, see the following to see
their takes on this article:
23 Jan 13 New York Times, Gretchen
Reynolds, "Is There One Right Way to Run?" (http://well.blogs.nytimes. com/2013/01/23/is-there-one- right-way-to-run/)
21 Jan
13 Washington Post,
Lenny Bernstein, "‘Minimalist’ running style may be undermined by new
findings from Kenya." (http://www.washingtonpost. com/national/health-science/ minimalist-running-style-may- be-undermined-by-new-findings- from-kenya/2013/01/18/ e1f4100c-60d2-11e2-b05a- 605528f6b712_story.html)
11 Jan
13 Outside, Joe
Spring, Adventure Lab, "Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Barefoot
Running Form." (http://www.outsideonline.com/ blog/fitness/challenging-the- conventional-wisdom-on- barefoot-running-form.html)
10 Jan
13 Runner's World,
Amby Burfoot, "New Study Reaches Different Conclusion On Kenyan Foot
Strikes." (http://www.runnersworld.com/ barefoot-running-minimalism/ new-study-reaches-different- conclusion-kenyan-foot-strikes )
9 Jan
13 Scientific American,
Katherine Harmon, "Some Barefoot Runners Tip Orthodoxy Back on
Heels." (http://blogs. scientificamerican.com/ observations/2013/01/09/some- barefoot-runners-tip- orthodoxy-back-on-heels/)
9 Jan
13 Yahoo! News,
Katherine Harmon, "Some Barefoot Runners Tip Orthodoxy Back on
Heels." (http://news.yahoo.com/ barefoot-runners-tip- orthodoxy-back-heels- 223500291.html)
9 Jan
13 Science Daily,
Lee Dye, "Variation Found in Foot Strike Patterns in Predominantly
Barefoot Runners." (http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2013/01/130109185856. htm)