People running in high performance shoes put more torque on their knees than people running bare foot.

As something of a gym rat, I take my sneakers pretty seriously.  They have to be comfortable, they have to look cool, but more than anything else, they have to relieve stress.

Let’s face it:  When we exercise, we’re putting a lot of stress on our bones, joints and muscles.  Of course, our muscles and joints become stronger after proper rest (one of the many reasons why rest is crucial to every exercise regimen) but the activity itself—depending on the intensity—is no walk in the park for our bodies (unless it is, in fact, a walk in the park).

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to purchase far more good sneakers than bad ones.  But the bad ones I’ve purchased have been REAL bad.  One pair was so bad that my knees actually started to hurt whenever I ran or used an elliptical after a few months of wearing them.  At the time, I thought it was a mild case of tendonitis.  But I knew it was the shoes when I ditched those for a new pair.

With all the advances in sneaker technology, you’d think this wouldn’t be much of a problem, as sneakers surely are more packed with padding and support than they used to be.  But a new study says that some of these sneakers are causing more pain than pleasure.

A study published in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation found that some of the premiere sneakers on the market today put more torque on the knees than running barefoot or walking with high heels!

The study used several different indicators to determine how much of an impact runners were putting on their joints.  For example, electronic markers were placed on their knees so the researchers could actually see and measure what was happening as they were running (this, of course, required some highly sophisticated technology).

In addition to watching the participants run in a traditional setting, they also observed them running on what the researchers call a “glorified bathroom scale” in their bare feet.  This also measured the amount of torque that was placed on the knees and joints.

Surprisingly, they found that people running with shoes—the very shoes that are supposed to minimize torque and resistance—actually brought on more torque than running bare foot.  For example, in the part of the knee that often become arthritic in people with osteoarthritis, there was about 40 percent more torque among those running in sneakers than those running bare foot.

So, does this mean that you should kick off your sneaks and bare it all?  Not necessarily.

“I think people should run in what they feel most comfortable running in,” said the study’s lead researcher to LiveScience.  “Whether that’s in a pair of running shoes or in a minimum kind of running shoe, that’s fine.”

In other words, don’t get snookered into believing that if your shoe isn’t at least $150, you shouldn’t buy it.  Pay attention to how the shoe feels on your foot and mimic as best you can the way in which you run right there in the store.

For this reason, it’s best to shop at a store that has space for you to run in place or ideally around the store itself.  Stores that allow this usually employ specialists that can evaluate your gait and whether you over-pronate when you run.

Source:
msnbc.msn.com

While I always see myself exercising regularly, I must admit that I’ve been somewhat concerned about what effect running for so long will have on my knees, perhaps rendering me disabled by the time I reach my senior years.

But according to new research on the topic, I need not fret.

The benefits of exercise are well documented.  That’s not in dispute.  But when researchers began investigating what effect regular running would do on the joints of those 50 and older, many who were aware of the study had a sneaking suspicion that there’d be a rise in the number of orthopedic injuries and a general increase in limited physical ability.  Their suspicions proved to be largely off-based.

The researchers that actually conducted the study began investigating the impact of running on people over the age of 50 back in 1984 – a time when seeing runners on the street wasn’t exactly commonplace.  The study’s lead researcher, Dr. James Fries from the Stanford University School of Medicine, went against what was then the convention wisdom, more exercise among older adults would increase disability.  His against-the-tide mentality proved prophetic.

Several years after the study was initiated, Fries had all 538 participants fill out questionnaires, detailing what their exercise habits were at the time and if they had any trouble performing daily tasks, like walking, grabbing, lifting and getting in and out of a chair.  When Fries compared the results of the running crop to those among the sample that did not run regularly at the start of the study, the non-runners encountered disability much earlier in life when compared to the runners and when they encountered disability.  And it wasn’t just a year or two.  On average, initial sign of disability among non-runners was 16 years prior to the runners’ initial sign of disability.

But the benefits of running were not relegated to increased physicality as one ages.  When researchers looked at the death records of those that participated in the study, then looked at whether or not those that died were runners or non-runners, 34 percent of the non-runners had died.  Among the runners?  Only 15 percent!

These findings did substantiate Fries’ initial hypothesis – that physical activity such as running would consolidate the amount of time disability occupies one’s life.  But even he was surprised by just how big of a role running played in sustaining physicality and life in general.

As the researchers note, this study should not suggest that running is the fundamental aspect to extending life.  It does in part, but it’s just as likely that the people that ran regularly also had eating habits that were beneficial to extending life and physicality.  Further, at some point in life, the body breaks down and can’t do what it once did.  Researchers found this to be the case among the runners, as the average amount of time spent running diminished significantly after 21 years – an average of almost 70 percent less.  But the point is living as healthy a life for as long as possible.  And as the researcher’s study suggests – a study published in the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine – running can keep one’s life running on full.