Minimalist Shoes vs. Real Shoes

Let me start off by saying that I think the minimalist shoes are garbage.  So this is in no way going to be an unbiased account (much like all of the research I have read).  My perspective is from that of a physical therapist, not a competitive runner.

Let's start with the minimalist shoes.

These are the shoes I've seen my brother try wearing.  The purported benefits of minimalist running shoes like these are less injuries and/because of a more natural running style.  You are getting back to your evolutionary basics.  The literature supports a mid-foot strike while running with these shoes.  It also supports a softer, almost pushing-like running style, versus what they call a "jarring and disruptive" heel to rear-foot strike which the rest of the running shoe world is more or less built to support.  These shoes also support more natural arch movement giving no arch buttress at all to "disrupt" your foots natural biomechanics.  There are random claims of less energy expended, less injuries, and a more rewarding running experience.

Normal running shoes....

... like these asics are built completely different from the above.  These shoes support a heel-strike/rear-foot initial contact with extra support in the heel for shock absorption.  They also offer little-->significant arch support depending on the foot-type.

So what does the author/blogger think about the issue?

It all goes back to basics for me.  My thought is if you have run all your life in a supportive sneaker/running shoe, it will be next to impossible to switch to a minimalist shoe without risking injury.  Too many people reading minimalist running shoe material become petrified of heel striking like it is some evil thing that they run exclusively on their toes.  This places an enormous stress on the metatarsals leading to a lot of stress fractures (I've see a ton in my clinic).  Even those who are coordinated and educated, it takes a lot of doing to safely convert a motor pattern you've used your entire life.  Bottom line: most people aren't coordinated enough to pull the change off.

Then there is the build of shoe itself and how it relates to biomechanics.  It is my understanding and belief that heel strike first is the proper form of biomechanics, not a mid-foot strike.  The heel absorbs shock (ground reaction forces) and transmits them up the tib/fib and into the femur where even greater stress is absorbed.  One major complaint from minimalists is that this is too abusive on your knee/hip/back joints.  They make it seem like one of those crazy infomercials where someone is taking it to absurd extremes (like someone needing an automatic dish stirrer so they don't spill 15 gallons of spaghetti sauce all over themselves each time they make spaghetti).  They make you think a heel strike has to be some absurd assault you are making on the pavement.  When in truth, it should be the same basic "strike" as the mid-foot strike they are supporting.  Only with a real running shoe, significant portions of the ground reaction force are absorbed be the shoe and not directly over your metatarsals (very small foot bones prone to stress fractures) like in minimalist shoes.

Lastly is the debate on what your foot should actually do.  The normal gait pattern for your foot is to heel strike first, then you roll along the outside 1/2 of your foot locking your foot giving you more support.  Around mid-way, your foot slowly starts to roll back towards the middle (where your arch starts to flatten absorbing more shock) as it rolls towards your toes to help push off at the end of that cycle.  Minimalist shoe research states that the arch supports in running shoes rob your feet of this natural flattening of the arch.  There are two things wrong with this argument.  First of all, unless the arch support is made of titanium, they are meant to give a whole lot to allow this movement.  Secondly, with a minimalist shoe and mid-foot strike, you are not going to get this natural locking-->unlocking-->arch giving at all.

The above picture shoes 3 different running styles.  The middle one being correct.  The left shoes someone who doesn't roll back towards the middle enough and the right shows someone who rolls too much.  Most people will fall somewhere in the left or right.  This is another problem with minimalist shoes.  These people will injure themselves far more often without a normal supportive running shoe.  Most people need specific supports/controls to create a natural pattern.  

BOTTOM LINE:  I think minimalist shoes are a joke.  They are a fad that will fade to nothing.  Use real shoes and avoid injuring yourself.  

If you are still on the fence... do some research.  Borrow a biomechanics book and read what the foot is naturally supposed to do.  Then read about the different types of shoes.

    

     

  















      

Article Review 1: Shaving Salt, Saving Lives

I thought I'd do something a little different today.  I came across an article in the Nutrition Action Health Letter and thought it was worth sharing.  I will cover all of this in more detail below, but the take away point is:  Too much salt in your diet is harmful to more than just your blood pressure.  It affects all the major systems and organs negatively when consumed in large quantities.  Reducing your salt intake can drastically improve your overall health.

Below is just the quick overview of the information in the article.  The Nutrition Action Health Letter website is:     http://www.cspinet.org/nah/index.htm

Shaving Salt, Saving Lives.

Nutrition Action Health Letter April 2010

All of the following information comes from the listed article.  This is just a review of the major highlights and take home points from the article.

“In 2005, high blood pressure was responsible for one in six deaths in the USA.  That’s because hypertension (high blood pressure) boosts your risk of dying of a heart attack or stroke more than smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, or any other risk factor.”

The article talks about how salt directly affects blood pressure (raises it) and how eliminating salt from your diet is beneficial on my fronts.

-- Less salt means lower blood pressure and less risk of cardiovascular (heart/lungs) disease (among other diseases)

-- Blood pressure rises with age regardless of salt intake.  High salt intake only adds to the problem.

-- Risk of disease rises before your blood pressure is diagnosed as “high” by a doctor

-- High blood pressure harms the heart by making it harder to pump out sufficient blood, the brain with some evidence linking it to dementia, and kidneys.  Left ventricular hypertrophy can occur.  This is where the wall of the heart is thickened because it must work harder to pump blood out into a higher pressure system.  This is a significant contributing factor to congestive heart failure.  I spoke about stiff arteries in an earlier blog, research suggests that more salt in your diet=stiffer arteries (further contributing to left ventricular hypertrophy among other problems).    High blood pressure damages the kidneys and salt may make it worse.  High salt diets increase the excretion of calcium (you pee out more calcium) which may lead to increased risk of osteoporosis.

-- “42 million Americans have uncontrolled hypertension.”  The range varies, but about 28% of people with hypertension don’t even know it.  The article states that eating less salt would make blood pressure medications more effective.  Through research they also state that “High dietary salt ingestion is an important cause of resistant hypertension.” (the kind that doesn’t respond well to medications)

-- The article suggests that you assume you are sensitive to salt.  Because most people will have hypertension at one time or another, it is safe to control your salt intake.

--  There are more things in addition to cutting back on salt that you can do to reduce your blood pressure.  It is suggested that you get 4,700 mg of potassium per day.  Eating a DASH diet (lots of fruits, veggies, low fat dairy).  Exercising daily is always a great way (cardio is better, but resistance exercise is good as well). 

-- The article also brings up health care costs.  By cutting salt intake and reducing heart problems, stroke, etc., we will save significant amounts of money and reduce the strain on our health care system.

-- The article suggests reducing take-out or eating out, reducing the amount of white flour/white bread/white pasta you eat and increasing whole grains, reducing any prepared frozen dishes (like Bertolli), and getting more exercise.

It was 35 years ago today ...: An article from: Nutrition Action Healthletter

My Book

I wrote a book and had it published a few months ago.  It is set up like a workbook to guide you through improving your life and health.  It is short and to the point.  It is also available on lulu.com

Meals for a day...

A friend showed me an article today that I thought was interesting.  This image was from the article and I thought it was a great example of great meals for each time of the day.  It is from the OmniHeart study.  It found that diets low in saturated fats and high in protein cut the risk of heart disease dramatically.  As far as the last post goes, think about how a low fat/low cholesterol diet like this would benefit your arteries.  We want to keep those arteries as wide and rubbery as possible.

The name of the magazine and a number of resources are listed at the bottom of the image.  More about cholesterol this weekend!

Coming Soon!

In 2 weeks new blogs will be arriving.  There will be a 10-part series on diet.  It will be a crash course in diet to give you what you need to know and nothing else to take control of your diet.

Fad Diets

Fad diets work.  On a fad diet, odds are that you will lose weight fast.  The question becomes, will you keep it off?  No.

Most fad diets work by starving you.  You are only supposed to eat one type of food, no carbs, all fat, only grapefruit, only celery, only protein shakes, etc etc etc.  Most fad diets end with the person gaining more weight than they had started with before the diet through a process called yo-yo dieting.  Yo-yo dieting is when you starve yourself with a fad diet and lose a lot of weight.  Then your body switches into "starvation mode."  In this mode, your body conserves every last drop of nutrients that gets into you and slows your metabolism.  So, in 2 or 3 weeks when your fad diet is over or you can no longer sustain it,  your body takes this influx of extra food/calories/nutrients and holds on for dear life in case you try and do something funny again like starving yourself.  Through this mechanism, you start to gain all your weight back and more!  For this reason, all changes to diet and exercise will be slow and gradual in an attempt to allow your body to adjust properly to all changes.

1st tip:  When you are sitting in front of the TV tonight, instead of sitting there with a bag of chips in your lap, fill a bowl with chips.  Once you have finished those, don't go back for more!  You will fulfill your chip craving for the evening without downing an entire bag and you will spare a few calories in the process.

Smart Life: A Healthier Life at Your Pace

Welcome

I would like to welcome you all to this blog. The purpose of this blog is to educate you on how to be healthy. It is my hope that by sharing information, tips/suggestions, stories, examples, and links to articles and books that you will be able to get healthy easily.

The general public is bombarded with information about different work-outs and get thin quick schemes. The fact is, getting and staying healthy, is a slow process that takes years to achieve. This might sound like a lot of effort for a population of people that want a quick fix pill for everything, but I can assure you that it is well worth it.

This blog will not be supporting any quick fixes or grapefruit diets. I will be suggesting small and calculated lifestyle changes. Information will be coming from a wide variety of sources and people.

Welcome all.