Natural running suitable for triathlon?

In recent years there has been a new trend in running on the type of support and footwear to use, is the Natural Running.

 

 

Our collaborator Personal Running tell us in this post if you can use the Natural Running in the practice of triathlon

 

Through this technique the foot hits first on the ground with the front and half (forefoot and midfoot) to then spread the weight over the entire sole of the foot ending up also supporting the heel. This technique contrasts with the classic current in which the first part of the support is made with the heel (hindfoot) to later support the rest of the plant.

 

As you get confused the terms of Natural Running with the barefoot (running barefoot) and the Minimalism. The difference between them is that Natural Running does not defend the elimination of footwear or the elimination of cushioning in footwear. Simply bet on a reduction of this, and especially by a reduction in the drop of the shoe (ie, the difference between the thickness of the cushioning of the back of the shoe and the front), to facilitate support with the middle and front part of the foot.

 

The right footwear for a more natural technique should be a lightweight shoe, with less cushioning than conventional sneakers, with a low drop, and flexible to allow greater mobility in the plant and toes.

 

Pros and cons to consider:

The support with the forefoot is what we also call "metatarsal support", and can lead to confusion with "running on tiptoe". Running on tiptoe without supporting the heels for several km is a great wear for twins and Achilles tendons, which would not be really bearable in time. In contrast, with this technique of running naturally, the front of the foot supports slightly before the rest of the foot, but culminates with shock absorption through the midfoot and heel support. This makes shock absorption more progressive than with heel support.

 

El point of impact It occurs just below the body and the trunk leans very slightly forward, which favors the speed in the realization of the next step. Thanks to this, a lower loss of energy in the support and a greater flow in the race is achieved as the stride rate is increased.

 

The muscles of the foot will also be strengthened when running in a more natural way, since during the supports they will have to do more work when running. absorb the impact and at the start of the momentum of the next stride.

 

For all this, certainly, this type of support is a benefit in the race on foot, but we must take into account certain factors:

• You can not do a abrupt change of our way of running, if not that this change should be done very progressively, so that the different structures (muscles, tendons, fascias, ligaments ...) are adapting to work in a different way as they did before, otherwise the home can be very harmful. The adaptation should not be less than 6 months.

• El Achilles tendon and the twin will work with greater tension, and therefore its tendency will be to overload itself more than without using this technique. At the beginning it is advisable to start with only a few sessions (and of short duration) with this type of footwear and the rest with conventional footwear.

• Not all people will respond equally in this change, for example, light people, with some experience in running and with a correct career technique will have a simpler adaptation.

 

Both the Natural Running currents and the Minimalism they defend that through their practice a reduction in injuries is achieved, although in reality there are not many studies that support the benefit in terms of running injuries with a natural or minimalist technique, nor are there any in the contrary current that support a benefit in this aspect of running more cushioned.

 

Conclusion:

The triathlon has a part of running and, therefore, a practice that optimizes the effectiveness of this will always be positive when it comes to achieving improvements in our performance. In addition this concept will be very useful for the race during the transitions where it runs without footwear, since it will strengthen the muscles of the sole of the foot being able to realize a more efficient race in these small sections.

 

That yes, before carrying out it in competition or in the training of radical form, we would have to consider all the previous considerations exposed in this article in when to its adaptation.

 

Photo: sportaddictive.blogspot.com