Tag: Running

Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

With the 2025 Melbourne Marathon approaching, choosing the best running shoes is crucial for preventing overtraining injuries like shin splints, stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis. Whether you’re tackling the half marathon or full marathon, the right footwear enhances performance and comfort. This guide explores how to select shoes based on your foot type and recommends top models from ASICS, Nike, Brooks, and Hoka to keep you running strong.

Understanding Your Foot Type for Optimal Shoe Selection

A proper foot assessment categorizes runners into one of four types, each requiring specific shoe features to support natural movement and prevent injuries:

  • Neutral: Balanced foot motion with a slight inward roll (pronation). Most runners (neutral to mild overpronators) fall here.

  • Mild Overpronator: Mildly flat arch, causing slight inward roll of the ankle/foot.

  • Severe Overpronator: Flat feet with no arch, leading to excessive inward roll.

  • Supinator (Underpronator): High arches with minimal or no inward roll.

Identifying your foot type can be performed through a foot and gait analysis at a Melbourne running store or sports clinic— this ensures you choose shoes that provide the right stability, cushioning, or motion control. Most runners are neutral to mild overpronators, making versatile shoes a popular choice.

Top Running Shoes for the Melbourne Marathon by Foot Type

Here’s a curated list of 2025 running shoes from leading brands, tailored to each foot type, to help you conquer the Melbourne Marathon:

Neutral to Mild Overpronator

  • ASICS Gel-Kayano 31: A premium stability shoe with GEL cushioning and Dynamic DuoMax support, ideal for neutral to mild overpronators. Perfect for long-distance training (lasts ~500–600 km).

  • Nike React Infinity Run Flyknit 4: Offers plush React foam and a rocker shape for smooth transitions, great for neutral runners seeking comfort.

  • Brooks Ghost 16: Known for its balanced cushioning and versatility, this shoe suits neutral runners and mild overpronators tackling marathon training.

Severe Overpronator

  • ASICS Gel-Evolution 7: Designed for flat feet, it provides maximum motion control and arch support to correct excessive pronation.

  • Hoka Arahi 7: Lightweight with J-Frame technology, this stability shoe prevents overpronation while maintaining a cushioned ride.

  • Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23: Combines GuideRails technology with responsive cushioning, ideal for severe overpronators needing structure.

    Supinator (High Arches)

    • ASICS Gel-Nimbus 27: A cushioned shoe with PureGEL technology, offering shock absorption for supinators with high arches.

    • Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3: Features ultra-responsive ZoomX foam, providing ample cushioning for underpronators.

    • Hoka Clifton 9: Lightweight and highly cushioned, it supports high-arched runners with a neutral platform and meta-rocker design.

    Why Shoe Lifespan Matters for Marathon Training

    Even if your shoes look new, their internal stability, structure, and shock absorption degrade after a certain distance. For example:

    • ASICS Gel-Kayano 31: Effective for ~500–600 km.

    • Nike React Infinity Run: Lasts ~400–500 km.

    • Brooks Ghost 16: Typically durable for ~500–600 km.

    During Melbourne Marathon training, you may log 600–700 km, so replacing shoes mid-season is critical. A smart strategy is to buy two pairs:

    • Rotate pairs every few runs to extend lifespan and reduce wear.

    • OR Use a training pair (e.g., ASICS Gel-Kayano) and a race-day pair (e.g., ASICS DS Trainer 19 or Nike Vaporfly 3 for speed).

    For amateur runners or those running for fun, the ASICS DS Trainer 19 is a lightweight, responsive race-day option, while the Nike Vaporfly 3 offers a competitive edge with its carbon plate. For runners looking to build foot strength and develop a more traditional barefoot style of running we recommend a progressive transition training program over 3-6 months utilizing minimal shoes such as Altras.

    Tips for Choosing Marathon Running Shoes

    1. Visit a Melbourne Running Store or Melbourne Sports Clinic: Get a professional gait analysis to confirm your foot type and try on multiple brands.

    2. Prioritize Comfort: Invest in a couple of pairs of good running socks and ensure a snug fit with enough toe room to prevent blisters during long runs.

    3. Replace Shoes Timely: Track your mileage using apps like Strava or Nike Run Club to know when to replace your shoes.

    4. Test for Race Day: Break in your race-day shoes during training to avoid surprises.

    Run Strong in the 2025 Melbourne Marathon

    Investing in the right running shoes tailored to your foot type is key to a successful and injury-free Melbourne Marathon. Whether you choose the reliable ASICS Gel-Kayano, cushioned Hoka Clifton, or speedy Nike Vaporfly, prioritize fit and durability.

    Managing training loads, building up miles in the legs and hip/leg strength are other key factors in running strong in the Melbourne Marathon. For more assistance or if you are having troubles overcoming a running related injury book an appointment today at our Melbourne CBD clinic for expert advice, and start training with confidence.

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    Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

    There is no worse feeling than rolling out of bed, putting your feet down, then taking your first few steps and feeling pain or tightness under the foot near the heel. This pain might last a few steps, a few minutes or can be more prevalent throughout the day. This is called “start-up pain” and is a hallmark feature of plantar fasciitis.

    What is the Plantar Fascia?

    The plantar fascia is a band of dense fibrous tissue or aponeurosis that runs from the medial (inner) aspect of the calcaneus (heel bone) to the forefoot. The fascia runs in three bands (lateral, medial and central) fanning across the sole (plantar aspect) of the foot.

    The plantar fascia plays an important role in maintaining, stabilizing and controlling the longitudinal arch which is stressed during locomotion. As well as, aiding in the distribution of weight evenly across the metatarsal heads; while also assisting with efficient propulsion forces, by acting as a cushion for the soft tissues around the metatarsal heads. Therefore, any alterations impacting the fascias ability to maintain the longitudinal arch leads to increased stress loading of the fascial tissues.

    Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms

    Plantar fasciitis usually presents with focal pain around the heel, accompanied by start-up pain first thing in the morning and/or after sitting for extended periods, as well as pain during walking/running. The pain associated with plantar fasciitis is due to degenerative changes in the fascial tissue, weakening the tissue as a result of excess stress loading. The most commonly involved fascial bands are the medial and central bands.

    Diagnosing Plantar Fasciitis

    Plantar fasciitis is routinely diagnosed following a thorough history and physical examination by an appropriately trained health or sports practitioner. If further imaging is required, an ultrasound is usually the primary imaging modality, which is capable of showing any thickening, tearing and/or increased vascular flow of the plantar fascia which are hallmark signs of plantar fasciitis, as well as any bone spurs or cysts that may additionally be contributing to the patients heel pain.

    What Causes Plantar Fasciitis

    Excess stress loading can be multifactorial and can include, direct training or volume load increases, and/or biomechanical imbalances leading to increased tissue loading. Causes can include:

    • Acute load spikes (increasing walking/running load too quickly – a classic example being individuals who do not walk much day-to-day (i.e 5k steps per day) but then go on holiday and start walking 15-25k steps per day for 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks in a row.
    • Excessive foot pronation – collapsing of the longitudinal arch
    • High arches
    • Tight achilles, calf, intrinsic foot muscles
    • Poor fitting shoes
    • Poor gait mechanics – reduced great toe extension, reduced dorsiflexion of the ankle
    • High body mass index – placing higher loads over the plantar fascia

    Treatment Options

    There are a wide variety of treatment options available for plantar fasciitis, ranging from over the counter analgesics, to orthotics and night splinting, through to physical therapy, injection interventions and surgery. In this blog the focus will be on the more common treatment interventions.

    Orthotics

    Orthotics are commonly prescribed for plantar fasciitis with one study indicating they may help reduce pain associated with PF in the medium term. However, in the short and long term there is low quality evidence to suggest orthotics do not provide any improvement in pain. Furthermore, a 2018 systematic review and meta analysis found orthotics were not superior for improving pain and function when compared to sham and other conservative interventions.

    Moreover, there is evidence indicating orthotics may lead to a weakening of the intrinsic foot muscles which may potentially augment the already weakened and dysfunctional tissue driving the degenerative changes associated with plantar fasciitis. It is for this reason Melbourne sports chiropractor Dr. Shannon does not advocate the use of orthotics as a front-line intervention for improving pain and function in patients with plantar fasciitis.

    Shock-Wave Therapy

    Shock-wave therapy is a treatment intervention which has been gaining some traction in recent years. There is evidence to suggest shock-wave therapy may improve pain and function and is ranked as a treatment option most likely to be effective at improving pain and function over the short, medium and long term. Shock-wave therapy is therefore a treatment option that could be considered, particularly in more chronic or recalcitrant cases.

    Strengthening/Loading Exercise Programs

    The research in this area is currently lacking. One of the difficulties at present is the lack of a standardized strength program which can be used for research purposes. However, in 2023 a consensus paper was released with 3 specific strengthening programs designed to be used in clinical trials. This is an area of most interest as individuals with plantar fasciitis exhibit reduced foot and ankle strength, muscle size and function.

    In 2014, a randomized controlled trial comparing stretching and high load strengthening exercises reported a superior self report outcome after 3 months in the strengthening group. This is not surprising, considering plantar fasciitis is associated with degenerative change of fascial tissue, an appearance somewhat similar to tendinopathy which in the case of achilles and patellar tendinopathy, responds well to moderate to heavy strength loading programs.

    It is for these reasons the cornerstone to Dr. Shannon’s approach to managing plantar fasciitis includes strengthening exercises, which are combined with load management and correcting any biomechanical imbalances in the lower extremity. As more studies are published exploring strength loading on plantar fasciitis pain and function, it is hoped the results will reflect what is seen in our Melbourne city sports chiropractic clinic.

    Injection Interventions

    At present the pathophysiology of plantar fasciitis is not well understood however, there is histopathological evidence indicating degenerative changes and atrophy of the muscle tissue, together with inflammation either in the fascia or muscle tissue. It therefore would be logical to assume that an intervention which potentially reduces inflammation and aids with tissue repair would perform superior to an intervention which solely focuses on reduction in tissue inflammation. The evidence comparing these two types of injection interventions leans towards supporting this assumption.

    The two most prevalent injection interventions for plantar fasciitis are corticosteroid and platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections. Corticosteroid injections (CSI) are a powerful anti-inflammatory intervention that have shown to improve pain levels in the short-term (<3 months) in plantar fasciitis however, they come with risks of tendon ruptures, fat pad atrophy and there appears to be an absence of any medium to long term benefit.

    PRP injections possess strong anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to high levels of cytokines and growth factors which are important in wound healing. Furthermore, PRP injections have not been associated with any adverse effects on the plantar tissue. Moreover, they provide better improvements in pain and function than CSI’s over 6 and 12 months and could be considered in chronic cases in conjuction with strength loading interventions.

    Surgery

    Surgery should only be considered in recalcitrant cases of plantar fasciitis that have failed to respond to conservative management. Procedures include plantar fasciotomy, gastrocnemius release, radiofrequency tenotomy, dry needling. All have been shown to be effective (improving pain and function) over the short and medium term.

    Summary

    Although futher research is needed to understand the true pathophysiological cause, plantar fasciitis appears to have similar characteristics to tendinopathy such as Achilles tendinopathy including degenerative changes of the tissue due to excess stress loading of the tissue. As the evidence currently shows, treatment interventions which aim to address the degenerative and inflammatory changes in the plantar fascia tissues appear to be more effective at reducing pain and improving function over the medium and long term (6-12 months) over interventions that focus primarily on symptompatic control.

    It is for this very reason our approach to treating plantar fasciitis at the Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care is to focus on improving the quality and strength of the plantar fascia tissue through a loading program, whilst also addressing any mechanical imbalances and training load problems which may be contributing to the excess stress loading of the plantar fascia. In recalcitrant cases that fail to adequately respond to exercise therapy and load management, we utilize PRP injections to assist with pain management to allow individuals to return to their rehabilitation program.

    If you are experiencing plantar fascia pain and would like to make an appointment with Melbourne sports chiropractor Dr. Nicholas Shannon you can book below. If you found this blog of interest, you might enjoy our blog on elbow tendinopathy.

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    Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

    Common Injury Sites

    Although bone stress injuries and fractures are not as frequent as other injuries seen in our Melbourne sports chiropractic practice, they are prevalent in active individuals and athletes. Stress fractures and bone stress injuries are more common in the lower extremity and include the bones in the feet (metatarsals and navicular), the leg bones (tibia and fibula), the thigh bone (femur), sacrum (pelvis), pars (lumbar spine). They can also occur in other less common areas like the humerus and wrist in tennis players and baseball pitchers.

    Stress Versus Insufficiency Bone Fractures

    When bone starts to fail there are two primary reasons for it. In the first instance normal healthy bone begins to fail under abnormal stress loading which is called a “stress fracture”. In the second instance there is abnormal bone which fails under normal stress loading called an “insufficiency fracture”. Insufficiency fractures occur when there is something systemically wrong within the body, resulting in abnormal bone health.

    Bone Remodeling

    Understanding bone health and how bones remodel is key to understanding why bone stress injuries and fractures occur. Two important cells in bone remodelling are osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts are like the demolition team who come in and break down old bone which is called “bone resorption”. Osteoblasts are the builders who come in a lay down new bone once the osteoclasts have removed the old bone which is called “bone formation”. This process is called “bone turnover” and in exercise is it vitally important, as bone turnover allows new bone to form and adapt to the stress loads that exercise is placing on the bone, helping the bone to adapt and become stronger. The entire process takes approximately 3-4 weeks under ideal conditions.

    In the case of bone stress injuries and fractures the ideal conditions for bone turnover are compromised which can include alterations in bone nutrition; low vit d, low energy availability; rapidly increased training load; impaired endocrine function. Changes in these conditions ultimately leads to an imbalance between osteoclast and osteoblast activity, resulting in bone tissue break down occurring at a faster rate than new bone tissue can be laid down.

    Bone Tissue Breakdown

    To understand how this bone tissue breakdown process impacts bone health we need to think of bone health as a continuum. At one end of that continuum there is healthy bone and at the other end there is a fractured bone. Bone health can slide backwards and forwards along this continuum depending on those variables which impact bone health as mentioned above.

    Let’s use an example to illustrate how bone moves down this continuum. For simplicity we will assume nutrition and endocrine function are normal. We will use a runner who is new to running with no prior running experience. Let’s assume they have a half marathon they are training for in 8 weeks. Because they have only a short period of time before the race, they start running 5 days a week. As they start running the osteoclasts begin breakdowning old bone so that new bone can be laid down to strengthen the bone as it adapts to the new impact loads going through the bone as a result of running. The more running, the more osteoclast activity occurs however, the osteoblast activity takes time to lay down new bone so an imbalance in the process begins to occur.

    Initially this leads to microtrauma in the bone which will present clinically as a focal (specific) area of tenderness over the bone, mostly noticeable on impact activities like running, jumping, hopping etc This is called “bone marrow edema”. The runner notes this as ‘training pains’ as they are new to running. As they continue to run 5 days a week, bone tissue breakdown continues, while new bone formation is unable to keep pace due to the rapid increase in loading and lack of rest days. The microtrauma persists and the bone continues to slide down the continuum through the 4 stages of bone marrow edema finally resulting in macrotrauma to the bone tissue, creating a fracture site.

    Clinically, this can present similar to an acute fracture where an instant acute pain is felt, or there can be continuously worsening acute pain which becomes present with simple activities like walking or weight bearing. Both force the individual to stop exercising and usually seek treatment.

    Bone Stresss Injuries and Fracture Treatment

    The way sports chiropractor Dr. Shannon at The Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care treats bone stress injuries and stress fractures is through a complete and thorough work up which routinely includes other clinicians. The key questions that need to be established are “why has this injury occurred?” and “is this a bone health related injury or a training load injury?”. Our workups often include:

    • Looking at whether there is a prior history of bone injuries, as a prior stress fracture is a predictor of a future stress fracture injury.
    • Assessing bone health – DEXA, MRI, Vit D (serum 25) and Calcium blood tests
    • Assessing nutritional intake – energy availability
    • Assessing endocrine function
    • Assessing training load and volume
    • Assessing for biomechanical imbalances/weaknesses
    • Assessing for technique deficits

    Fracture Healing Process

    Once we have pertained the cause of the bone injury and have determined it is a training load injury and not a bone-related injury, we then move into treatment and education. Treatment to optimise bone health (nutritional and supplement support), strategies to allow the bone healing process to catch up, strengthening programs, education on training load management to mitigate the risk of reinjury, technique modification if required.

    To book an appointment to have your bone pain assessed below and you will be in safe hands. Our sports chiropractic clinic is situated on Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD, opposite the City Square and Melbourne Town Hall.

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    Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

    Running related injuries (RRI) have remained reasonable unchanged since the early 1980s and range from 17-79%. RRI are the most prevalent reason why runners cease participation with the most commonly affected areas being the knee and lower leg. Studies have looked at demographic and anthropometric factors to determine risk factors for RRI injuries with consideration given to age, sex, BMI. These factors were found to be associated with certain injuries where females are more likely to sustain anterior knee and ITB pain, while men were more likely to suffer from Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis.

    A recent study by Hollander, et.al anchored by expert running biomechanists Irene Davis, retrospectively looked at 550 recreational runners to determine the different factors that might play a role in RRI and to give further weight to the notion that RRI are multifactorial. Their study examined biomechanics, demographics and anthropometric factors.

    Running Related Injury Risks

    Their paper found the foot striking patterns were associated with certain injuries; Achilles injuries were 2 times more likely in those with a midfoot strike pattern. This is potentially a result of the changes in Achilles loading due to the position of the foot and ankle on impact. Posterior leg injuries (most commonly calf injuries) were associated with forefoot strike patterns.

    They also found that higher peak vertical ground reaction forces, the forces directly impacted on the body as the foot hits the ground were associated with hip and groin pain. Interestingly though, they didn’t find an association between cadence (steps per minute) and injury location, whereas other studies have found that a lower cadence is associated with anterior (front) leg pain.

    Key Injury Risk Factors

    Some of the key overall injury risk factors Hollander found indicate your risk increases for:

    • An Achilles injury if you are older, male and a midfoot striker
    • An ITB injury if you are older
    • A hip/groin injury if you are female
    • A thigh injury or anterior knee pain if you are female
    • A patella or quadriceps tendinopathy if you are male.

    How To Avoid A Running Injury

    The most important factor to mitigate the risk of a RRI is appropriate load management. This means periodizing training, having appropriate rest periods and deload weeks of training, and to scale up training in roughly 10% increments each week.

    Tendinopathies are extremely prevalent in running including Achilles, plantar fasciitis, glute medius, patellar and quadriceps. Tendinopathies are directly associated with load levels however, the best way to prevent tendinopathies is by having strong tendons. Therefore a gym based strengthening program is vitally important for runners. There is also evidence to support the use of minimal footwear to improve intrinsic foot muscle strength with a 2018 paper showing over a 12 week period, minimal shoes were as effective at improving intrinsic foot muscle strength as performing a foot strengthening program.

    Identifying and correcting any technique and/or biomechanical deficiencies will ensure a more evenly loaded musculoskeletal system in addition to reducing high peak vertical growth reaction forces both of which are related to RRI.

    Finally, make sure you rehabilitate any injuries you have sustained as prior injuries, especially soft tissue injuries such as calf strains are a risk factor for a subsequent injury. Anecdotally, in our Melbourne city chiropractic clinic the three most prevalent factors leading to injury are poor training load management, muscle imbalances especially around the pelvis and poor technique. To find out how our sports chiropractic clinic manages training loads click here. Additionally, if you are interested to learn how the weight of your running shoes might be slowing you do, you can read more here. For those keen to explore the benefits of minimal shoes we prefer Sole Mechanic Footwear, who specialise in minimal shoes. If you use the code “SHANNONCLINIC7” you will receive a 15% discount.

    You can find more Blogs from the Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care here.

    If you are experiencing a running related injury or encounter repeated running related injuries, Having worked with state and national track and field athletes, as well as endurance and ultra endurance athletes Melbourne city chiropractoc Dr. Shannon is well placed to assess your running related injury. You can make an appointment below. Our Melbourne chiropractic clinic is conveniently located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD on Collins Street in the Manchester Unity building, opposite the Melbourne Town Hall and City Square.

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    Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

    Fluid or hydration status is extremely important in endurance sports like the marathon, Ironman and endurance motorsport, getting it wrong can have disastrous consequences. As such hydration is a balancing act, not taking in enough fluids will result in dehydration and taking in too much fluid will result in Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia (EAH). EAH can be a life-threatening scenario where an athlete or individual takes on more fluid than they are losing, causing a dilution and subsequent reduction in sodium levels within the body resulting in fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and alterations in consciousness.

    Having first hand experience working at the Wanaka Ironman in New Zealand and in elite level endurance motorsport Melbourne city sports chiropractor Dr. Shannon discusses the keys to getting your hyrdation strategy right.

    How Fluid Should Be Replaced

    It is uniformly agreed that fluid replacement during exercise is important to prevent excess fluid loss (dehydration) and to avoid body weight loss of >2% and excessive changes in electrolyte balance which can compromise performance. How that fluid is replaced during exercise is currently of great debate with researchers unable to come to a consensus on which approach is best, drinking to a plan of 600-800ml per hour, drinking to thirst (using the sensation of thirst to determine when to drink) or drinking ad libitum (drinking whenever and in whatever volume).

    In light of this lack of consensus it would seem reasonable that any rehydration strategy should be flexible taking into consideration the duration of the event, the outside temperature, the effort required, sweat rate, the terrain and gradient etc. It should use thirst as a guide while not straying too far from an intake of 600-800ml per hour, but essentially not drinking more than is being lost through sweat.

    Sweat Rates

    Sweat rates are highly variable between individuals with an average sweat rate of approximately 1.35L/hr. There are calculators available that can help determine ones specific sweat rate. Alternatively, a simple way to establish a rough sweat rate is to weigh one’s self prior to and immediately after a 60 minute workout. The weight loss during that period divided by the time (60mins) will provide a rough sweat rate estimate – it is important to be well hydrated before undertaking the workout. The benefit of establishing an individual sweat rate estimate is it aids in understanding how much fluid is lost to sweat per hour of exercise and therefore roughly how much fluid will need to be replaced per hour.

    What To Drink

    Armed with a sweat rate estimate and a rehydration strategy of drinking to thirst while making sure one isn’t straying too far from the amount of fluid needing to be replaced due to sweat loss, gives you 2 of 3 key components to a solid hydration strategy. The final component is the fluid type that should to be taken in; water, hypertonic (Gatorade), hypotonic (Mizone) or isotonic (Powerade) drinks. In endurance sports the simple answer to this question is all, it is important to use a mixture of water and drinks that contain electrolytes as well as carbohydrates.

    Lastly, it is important to try different products and combinations during training to see what works best and to also get used to drinking while training, so when it comes to race day it is one less thing you have to think about.

    If you are looking for more sports nutrition or supplement information, The Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care blog has a myriad of blogs covering protein, diets, sports supplementation, hyrdation and so much more.

    To book an appointment with Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Shannon or remedial massage therapists Paula Pena click below. Our Melbourne CBD chiropractic clinic is centrally located on Collins Street, opposite the Melbourne Town Hall.

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    Shannon Clinic – Melbourne Chiropractic and Sports Care Blog

    Runners are always looking for ways to improve whether it be through hydration, supplementation, diet, training and coaching. Although shoe type (minimally shod, shod etc) often get discussed in relation to injury rates and foot strike patterns, less attention is paid to the effect shoe weight has on running performance. In our Melbourne city sports chiropractic clinic many of our recreational runners run in shoes like ASICS Kayanos which weigh around the 300g mark. So what does this mean in terms of performance for those runners?

    people running on treadmills

    A research paper looked to quantify the effects heavier shoes had on running times. Blinded to the runners, the researchers placed lead weights into runners shoes (normal shoe weight, normal shoe weight +100gm and normal shoe weight +300gm) and then had them run on a treadmill and perform a 3km time trial. The data showed that the energy cost of the runner increased by 1% for ever extra 100gm of weight.

    What Does This Mean?

    This small study leads some support to the notion that if two runners with the same age, fitness, race pace and times line up against each other one wearing a 200g shoe and the other a 300g shoe. The runner in the 300g shoe will have to exert an extra 1% of their energy to cover exactly the same distance. This is likely to result in a slower finishing time.

    It should be noted though, there is a lower threshold limit for shoe weight. Ie, having the lightest possible shoe doesn’t mean you will run the fastest. The cushioning of the shoe helps to absorb impact shock and therefore reduces energy expenditure. If you remove too much cushioning, energy expenditure will increase because that cushioning effect is greatly diminished.

    If you are interested in more running related blogs we have a great selection, especially on running injuries. To make an appointment with Melbourne city chiropractor Dr. Shannon or sports massage therapist Paula Pena you can book below. You will find our Melbourne CBD chiropractic clinic on Collins Street, opposite the Melbourne Town Hall.

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