Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: robert riley on 10/07/2008 21:24:50

Title: Is it faster to run barefoot?
Post by: robert riley on 10/07/2008 21:24:50

robert riley  asked the Naked Scientists:

Hi Chris

I run on my local sports track a few times a week -- I have been for years trying to beat my personal best of 2.40 but to no avail -- yet last month on a whim I decided to run it barefoot and run 2.34 smashing my pb --

I tried it again a few times and run in low 2.30s again. As an experiment I ran my next few times in trainers again and run low 2.40s as I used too do.

My question is, if running barefoot is so much faster for me, why do athletes bother with trainers in the first place?

thanks, great show (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/)

Rob


What do you think?

Title: Is it faster to run barefoot?
Post by: blakestyger on 10/07/2008 21:40:38

Some tracks are not made of grass - suggest you avoid these.

Title: Is it faster to run barefoot?
Post by: Simulated on 10/07/2008 21:45:04

Are you talking about your 800 time? I my pr is 2:11 and I was just a freshman :) haha anyways.

I myself, never tired running out of shoes on a track and timed myself. It all does depend on the surface. On our rubber track I could probably run without them, but I don't think it will improve or decrease my pr.

Title: Is it faster to run barefoot?
Post by: thedoc on 26/07/2008 18:25:12

Listen to this question on our podcast by clicking here (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/show/2008.07.13/)

Title: Is it faster to run barefoot?
Post by: LeeE on 27/07/2008 14:10:44

Are you using distance shoes or sprint shoes?  One implication from getting better times barefoot is that you're using distance shoes and might be better off using sprint shoes.

Title: Is it faster to run barefoot?
Post by: RD on 27/07/2008 18:56:44

Quote

Zola Pieterse, still better known by her maiden name of Zola Budd (born May 26, 1966 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State in South Africa), is a former Olympic track and field competitor who, within a period of less than three years, twice broke the world record in the women's 5000 meters, and twice was the women's winner at the World Cross Country Championships. Budd's career as a pioneer in women's distance running was as unusual as it was meteoric, in that she always trained and raced barefoot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zola_Budd

Title: Is it faster to run barefoot?
Post by: TonyCap on 28/07/2008 00:06:42

It's bad for the joints, and you can increase your chances of injury.