One common thing amongst sport enthusiasts is - We run! No matter what comes in, we need to have that jog of the day! But do we ever think about the injury perspectives?
In running, shoes are the most basic and probably the major equipment required. We all buy the common "Running shoes". After quite a bit of research, it is essential to point out the fact that the type of shoes you wear is a predominant risk factor to your injuries.
“ We live in the era where the athletes, coaches and even the sponsors prioritise both performance and injury prevention equally. Thus it is quite essential to have a precise knowledge in choosing the appropriate type of footwear in order to avoid the possible injuries and also perform better.”
In this blog I have tried to convey the importance of the necessity to focus on the topic "Selecting the appropriate footwear." This whole process would be split into 3 blogs so it would be easy to read on occasional basis.
Necessity To Focus:
Running, as a sport is composed of various events and competitions. Just as there are various events in running, there exists a plethora of event specific necessities. These includes biomechanical, physiological, nutritional, psychological etc. interventions (aka) ergogenic aids. The efficiency of these ergogenic aids is highly dependent on the training adaptations and responses as they are highly individualised. One of the crucial ergogenic aid in running is the footwear/shoes.
NHS states that “Running requires little equipment, but a good pair of running shoes that suit your foot type may help improve comfort”. Studies have proved chronic use of wrong shoes can even result in anatomical foot deformations. We live in the era where the athletes, coaches and even the sponsors prioritise both performance and injury prevention equally. Thus it is quite essential to have a precise knowledge in choosing the appropriate type of footwear in order to avoid the possible injuries and also perform better.
This doesnt have to be necessarily applicable only on professional athletes. Common population also needs to have an insight before they can buy their shoes. Most of us worry about deciding the brand to buy. But a very few of us consider the footwear that are appropriate to us. There are various types of running shoes. They are specifically designed for each event. They are also designed for each individual with respect to their specific needs. Personalised soles and shoes can be designed based on the person's weight, gait and other basic fundamental informations. This would increase the cost a bit but would reduce the risk of chronic pains and injuries at a much significant cost.
Despite significant developments in the shoe’s structure, material and composition over the past five decades , the probability a running related injury has been relatively stable since then. Also an appropriate footwear for any running event has always been a controversial topic and there are no convincing evidence (yet) to state or recommend a generalised footwear design for any specific running event. However, thanks to technology, there are aids to figure out a better shoe for any individual with few analysis. Also there are some techs to help us smoothen our risks to injury.
I have described the following in the other posts!
Knowing your shoes is as important as knowing your health and diet. If you mess with it, it tries to mess back !!