Barefoot Running: The Effects of an 8-Week Barefoot Training Program
Scott Mullen1, Jon Cotton1, Megan Bechtold1
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine
|November 5, 2015
Summary
Eight weeks of barefoot running did not significantly improve strength or proprioception compared to shod running. Longer training durations may be needed to observe these benefits in runners.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology
- Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
Background:
- Barefoot running is hypothesized to enhance lower extremity strength and proprioception.
- The optimal training duration for observing these adaptations remains undetermined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of an 8-week barefoot running program on lower extremity strength, proprioception, and foot muscle volume.
- To compare changes in these parameters between a barefoot running group and a control group using traditional running shoes.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 29 runners over 8 weeks.
- Participants were assigned to either a barefoot running group or a control group (running in shoes).
- Assessments included foot volume, strength, and dynamic balance before and after the 8-week intervention.
Main Results:
- Both barefoot and control groups showed some significant improvements in single-leg hop and balance tests from baseline.
- However, no statistically significant differences in the magnitude of these changes were found between the barefoot and control groups at the .05 level.
Conclusions:
- An 8-week low-intensity barefoot running program did not yield statistically significant improvements in strength and proprioception compared to shod running.
- The study suggests that longer training periods, potentially months or years, may be required to elicit measurable adaptations from barefoot running.
