“This retrospective study tests if runners who habitually forefoot strike have different rates of injury than runners who habitually rearfoot strike.”
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We measured the strike characteristics of middle- and long-distance runners from a collegiate cross-country team and quantified their history of injury, including the incidence and rate of specific injuries, the severity of each injury, and the rate of mild, moderate, and severe injuries per mile run.”
“….69% primarily used a rearfoot strike and 31% primarily used a forefoot strike.”
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“Approximately 74% of runners experienced a moderate or severe injury each year, but those who habitually rearfoot strike had approximately twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries than individuals who habitually forefoot strike.”
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“Competitive cross-country runners on a college team incur high injury rates, but runners who habitually rearfoot strike have significantly higher rates of repetitive stress injury than those who mostly forefoot strike.”
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A.I.Daoud, et al
Foot Strike and Injury Rates in Endurance Runners: A Retrospective Study.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise….Vol 44 #7….July 2012….page 1325 – 1334