POSE METHOD RUNNING

The “Pose Method” and “Chi Running” are styles of running popularized over the past decade where coaches teach runners to try to land more on their forefoot, and not on their heels, during running. These two running “methods”  were created by individuals who have sold books, produced videos, and have trained coaches to teach runners on “the proper way to run”. Neither of these running methods, which have likely made their creators lots of money, have been shown to be more “natural”, more metabolically efficient or less injury-producing than other running styles.

Pose and Chi Running became popular during the Barefoot Running Fad of 2009 to 2015, where many self-proclaimed “running form experts” on the internet asserted, without supporting scientific research evidence, that running with a heel-striking gait was “unnatural”, was harmful or caused more injuries. These individuals also claimed that barefoot running  was better than running in shoes, and that running in five-toed, thin-soled shoes was good and that running in thick-soled, cushioned shoes caused more injuries. As of this date, none of those claims that forefoot striking running is more natural or beneficial, that cushioned-sole running shoes cause more injury or that barefoot running is a better way to run has been supported by research evidence.

In fact, the opposite is true. In 2013, Ridge et al showed that runners wearing the five-toed, thin-soled Vibram FiveFinger shoes developed significantly more bone marrow edema than control runners wearing cushioned-sole shoes (Ridge ST, Johnson AW, Mitchell UH et al: Foot bone marrow edema after 10-week transition to minimalist running shoes. Med Sci Sp Exer, 45(7):1363-1368, 2013). Of the 5,918 runners in eight research studies that were performed on the footstrike patterns of runners during actual races from 1983-2014, 90.7% (5,366) of those runners were rearfoot strikers, with less than 10% being midfoot strikers and about 1% being forefoot strikers.

Kevin A. Kirby, DPM, Sacramento, CA

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News