Barefoot Running Research Paper

Barefoot running is beneficial because it reduces joint forces.1, 2 This reduction is a function of several changes that occur when running barefoot. A study of 11 healthy runners (6 men and 5 women) was conducted where subjects ran at their preferred stride length.3 Stride length and kinetic measurements were taken for the frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes. The study concluded that an overall reduction in preferred stride length occurred when subjects ran barefoot.3 The reduced stride length resulted in much smaller hip, knee, and ankle moments in the frontal plane.3
A separate study compared the patellofemoral pressures and forces (PP & PTF) on thirty recreational running males who performed tests while running barefoot, with minimalist shoes, and with normal running shoes. The results yielded a mean PTF of 3.19 for barefoot running compared to a mean PTF of 4.11 for conventional running.2 Additionally, a mean PP of 9.24 was observed for barefoot running, while a mean PP of 10.18 was observed for conventional running.2 These results further support the thesis that barefoot running reduced joint centered forces; especially within the knee.

II. Improves running efficiency
A study of fifteen experienced runners was conducted in order to examine the difference in running efficiency between shod running, minimalist running, and barefoot running.
Metrics measured included the ground contact time (GCT), knee flexion angle, foot strike, and stride cadence.4 Testing results revealed that barefoot runners had the smallest amount of rearfoot strikes (40%) when compared to shod runners (87%) and that GCT was the least with barefoot runners (250.6 ms).4 Last, the stride cadence was highest among barefoot runners. This data suggests that not only does barefoot running provide increased safety through mitigating the risk of injury due to rearfoot strikes and ground reaction force injuries, but it also increases the overall stride
frequency.
Running economy is also reduced when running barefoot.4-10 A research group conducted a study where the VO2 consumption was measured as a function of different shoe masses. The study concluded that a positive linear relationship exists between shoe masses over 440g and a change in VO2 consumption.
An additional study compared the VO2 consumption on 10 healthy runners.7 Five males and 5 females participated in the study and all subjects ran recreationally, at least 16 km per week for the previous 6 months.7 Testing was conducted by having runners perform in running shoes and barefoot on both treadmill and indoor track surfaces. Results concluded that the mean running economy across both surfaces improved by 3.8% when subjects ran barefoot.7 This phenomena is a direct results of elimination of shoe cushioning, which can dampen elastic energy.6, 8-11 The spring-like physical functionality of the arch is maximized when running barefoot.6, 8-11