Category: crossfit

If the shoe fits

  • SHODDY FOOTWEAR

Understanding the difference among shoes with regards to function

Vincent Gutierrez, PT, MPT, cert. MDT

  • OBJECTIVES

1.To briefly relate the history of the modern athletic shoe

2.To explain the differences regarding functionality among dress shoes, classic footwear, minimalist footwear and barefoot.

3.To provide general recommendations of footwear for varying populations.

  • The Shoe
  • The worlds oldest shoe is roughly 6,000 years old and was meant for foot protection. Prior to this it is theorized that all activities took place barefoot1.
  • Through the years
  • First athletic shoes
  • Keds Champions: unchanged since 19172,3
  • Modern (Classic) Shoe
  • Designed with the foot anatomy in mind (i.e. motion control)3,4,5
  • Minimalist shoes
  • In the recent years these shoes have noted increased sales and are advertised to mimic barefoot activities.
  • These shoes offer no support and increase the intrinsic/extrinsic strength of the foot musculature
  • WALKING
  • When compared to barefoot, wearing standard walking shoes increases stride length by 6%14.
  • Heel strike is more pronounced with larger stride length and varum stresses at the knee were found (9%).
  • Impact on medial compartment OA.
  • For every 1% increase in stress, there is 6x greater risk of knee OA
  • “Flat flexible footwear are associated with significant reductions in dynamic knee loads during ambulation, compared to supportive, stable shoes with less flexible soles.”15
  • Running
  • (1980) It was advised to buy a shoe with built in support mechanisms for the arch and cushioned heel7
  • The authors make this recommendation based on the gait cycle and apply the same gait cycle to running.
  • Recent running analysis challenges this basis of running as fast walking
  • To understand this lets talk GFR
  • http://links.lww.com/CSMR/A3
  • By incorporating arch supports, there is a reduction in elastic recoil of the spring ligament and posterior tibialis, thereby reducing force output at the foot intrinsic/extrinsic3
  • Running
  • Minimalist shoes are more economical compared to classic running shoes in that the the runner utilizes less energy to run9
  • The weight of the shoe was controlled for by using ankle weights.
  • Neuropathic foot8
  • Most ulcers occur in forefoot
  • Study compares barefoot walking in patients with DM neuropathy and those without neuropathy
  • Results
  • Pt with neuropathy place more stress on the forefoot when barefoot (2x more) than controls
  • Possibly due to hammer toe formation and a lack of distribution among toes
  • Unable to feel increased stresses at the forefoot resulting in injury under met. Heads.
  • Balance
  • 100 older women (mean=82 y/a) examining usual footwear vs. barefoot on balance6
  • 68% required AD
  • 42% wore walking shoes, 17% sandals, 11% moccasin
  • Subjects with poorest balance (BBS) benefitted most from usual footwear
  • Post CVA subjects demonstrate increased gait speeds when using a classic shoe compared to barefoot or slippers11
  • Wearing dress shoes (>.5 inch heel) resulted in 15% worsening of balance testing compared to barefoot and a 12% worsening when changing from standard shoe to dress shoe. The TUG improved in standard shoes compared to barefoot12.
  • Healthy older adults demonstrate increased postural sway when wearing traditional walking shoes compared to barefoot13
  • Authors postulate due to sensory deprivation due to footwear
  • Pediatric population
  • “Influence of footwear on the prevalence of flat foot”
  • Study of 2300 children between 4 and 13 y/a
  • 1555 used footwear and 745 never wore shoes
  • 9% of shodded children presented with flat foot and only 3% of children without footwear presented with flat foot.
  • Closed toed shoes appeared to inhibit arch formation moreso than sandals/slippers.
  • The authors suggest that children should play barefoot or in sandals/slippers.
  • Recommendations
  • Running:
  • Classic Running shoes influence a RFS, which increases impact loading into the LE and runners sustain 2.5x more injuries (LBP, LE pain) when running with a RFS3,9
  • Barefoot running fosters a FFS, which strengthens the muscles of the foot3,10
  • Balance:
  • Those with poor balance are advised to wear shoes6 and avoid higher heeled shoes12
  • Healthy individuals are advised to wear minimalist shoes for static balance
  • Neuropathic foot
  • Therapeutic shoes to reduce plantar pressure at the metatarsal heads
  • Walking
  • s/p CVA should wear classic shoes for improved gait speed.
  • Healthy individuals are advised to wear minimalist/barefoot shoes to decrease risk of knee OA
  • Kids
  • barefoot or minimalist shoes
  • QUESTIONS:
  • What’s the difference between running barefoot and running in standard/classic shoes?
  • What are two benefits and limitations of classic shoes?
  • Did this presentation add to your knowledge base and is there a change in your confidence level when recommending shoes for patients/friends?
  • References

1.Ravilious, K. National Geographic News. June 2010. Available at: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100609-worlds-oldest-leather-shoe-armenia-science/. Accessed on July 10, 2013.

2.Keds Shoes Official Site. July 2013. Available at: http://www.keds.com/store/SiteController/keds/ourstorypage. Accessed on July 10, 2013.

3.Altman AR, Davis IS. Barefoot Running: Biomechanics and Implications for Running Injuries. Curr Sports Med Reports. 2012;11(5): 244-250.

4.Griffith I. Choosing Running Shoes: The Evidence Behind the Recommendations. February 2011. Available at: http://sportspodiatryinfo.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/choosing-running-shoes-the-evidence-behind-the-recommendations/. Accessed on July 10, 2013.

5.McPoil TG. Footwear. Phys Ther. 1988;68: 1857-1865.

6.Hrogan NF, Crehan F, Bartlett E, et al. The effects of usual footwear on balance amonsgst elderly women attending a day hospital. Age and Ageing. 2009;38:62-67.

7.Heckman B. Selection of a Running Shoe: If the Shoe Fits-Run. JOSPT. 1980;2(2):65-68.

  1. Mueller MJ, Zou D, Bohnert KL, et al. Plantar Stresses on the Neuropathic Foot During Barefoot Walking. Phys Ther. 2008;88:1375-1384.
  2. Perl DP, Daoud AI, Lieberman DE. Effects of Footwear and Strike Type on Running Economy. Med Sci Sports Exer. 2012;44(7):1335-1343.
  3. Lieberman DE. What We can Learn About Running from Barefoot Running: An Evolutionary Medical Perspective. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2012;40(2):63-72.
  4. Ng H, McGinley JL, Jolley D, et al. Effects of footwear on gait and balance in people recovering from stroke. http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/. Accessed on July 6, 2013.
  5. Arnadottir SA, Mercer VS. Effects of footwear on Measurements of Balance and Gait in Women Between the Ages of 65 and 93 Years. Phys Ther. 2000;80:17-27.
  6. Brenton-Rule A, Bassett S, Walsh A, Rome K. The evaluation of walking footwear on postural stability in healthy older adults: An exploratory study. Clinical Biomechanics. 2011;26:885-887.
  7. Keenan GS, Franz JR, Dicharry J, et al. Lower limb joint kinetics in walking: The role of industry recommended footwear. Gait and Posture. 2011;33:350-355.
  8. Shakoor N, Sengupta M, Foucher K, et al. The effects of Common Footwear on Joint Loading in Osteoarthritis of the knee. Arthritis Care Res. 2010;62(7):917-923.

Boys…put your balls away

MORAL: Boys, put your balls away. Nothing more to add

 

  1. “Developing core strength has been emphasized as a valuable component in general and sports conditioning programs in addition to active rehabilitation programs for individuals with low back pain (LBP).”

 

What is the core? We all see the late night infomercials talking about core strength and see people with washboard abs. Is this core? Not exactly. Picture this: the strike zone in baseball. Not the MLB, because that strike zone is almost non-existent, but little league baseball. The old middle of the thighs to the letters of the jersey, that’s the strike zone. Now, picture all of the bones and muscles that are in this area. Do the same thing for the side of the body and the back of the body. Most everyone neglects the back and sides. We all want that beach body you know. Unfortunately, that beach body is all show and no go.

 

Core stabilization is more of a communication thing than an Incredible Hulk thing. The muscles of the “core” (strike zone) have to be able to transfer the amount of force that your legs are generating and apply it to something that your arms want to do. All of the body by Jakes or ab rockers won’t get you there. They will do a great job of strengthening your target muscles for that specific exercise, but they won’t do anything for making you a better athlete or better person for that matter.

 

  1. “Numerous studies have placed individuals on trunk exercise programs that in turn resulted in a greater increase in endurance and decline in reports of LBP episodes”

 

If you are a couch potato, than doing anything may be better than doing nothing. If this is you, then stop reading because the ab rocker is waiting for the next set. If you aspire to more than just couch potato, then doing unweighted trunk strengthening exercises may not be enough for you.

 

  1. “It is apparent that training while under unstable conditions does increase the activity of these (trunk) muscles”

 

Enter the Bosu ball or the Swiss Ball. This one statement has created rooms of balls in gyms and has spawned people marching in place while sitting on a ball in the physical therapy clinic. If you are one of these people and really think that you are being uber effective, then this article may be offensive. PUT YOUR BALLS AWAY!

 

But I can already hear you say: “increased activity” blah, blah, blah. Look, being busy is not the same as being productive. Increasing activity does not lead to increasing strength, unless you are increasing the load as well. When I say load, I mean weight. The kind of stuff of the legends of Paul Anderson, Franco Columbo, Kaz (he is so legendary that he only needs to go by his nickname). Look these people up. I can say with certainty that they weren’t training on balls.

 

  1. “Behm et al had subjects perform various trunk-stabilizing exercises with stable and unstable (Swiss ball) conditions. Results indicated that the abdominal stabilizers, LSES (back muscles) and ULES (upper back muscles) exhibited significantly greater activity with the unstable conditions. The 2 most effective exercises for trunk activation were the side bridge and superman”

 

Again is you are weak than doing anything is better than doing nothing. If you have weak muscles, then lifting a spoon is difficult and your muscles will get activated. “Only the strong survive.” I don’t want to activate, I want to get jacked. Why? Because someone that is strong will be able to get their butt off of the toilet at the age of 80, without the use of handrails. Someone that is jacked will not have difficulty getting off of the floor and being a stereotype like on the commercial. People…it is not about turning on muscles. I can turn on my butt muscles by squeezing my ass cheeks together. Activation does not equal functional and surely doesn’t mean strong.

 

The Swiss ball is one of the worst things to be introduced into our profession. That’s right…I said it! We as a profession spend way too much time training unstable situations when the patient needs to get stronger. I can hear the PTs arguing now: “What about balance patients? What about patients that need to walk on unstable surfaces?” Great! Do Swiss ball stuff for this purpose, but stop selling the unstable training as a means to get stronger. I am saying “I AGREE WITH YOU”! Ok, now get rid of the Swiss ball for all other purposes. We are doing the patient a disservice. The logic made sense years ago, but the research just isn’t there.

 

On a side note: I want as many patients as possible to read this blog. This way the patient can be armed with facts to go into the PT with in order to question the activities that are being performed in the clinic. If I can’t give a good reason for why I am doing what I am doing, then fire me! We are in a day and age in which results will be the driver of our profession. This is already starting to happen with “bundled payments for total joints” ( I highly suggest that you educate yourself on this also. I may or may not write about this soon). We need to make sure that as health professionals that we continue to get smarter and better at what we do. Patients need to continue to educate themselves about their health for two reasons 1. IT’S YOUR BODY! 2. You will challenge your health care provider to either get better or get lost.

 

The two most effective exercises for trunk activation are the side bridge and superman, said no strongman, crossfitter or strongman ever!

 

  1. “Swiss balls have been incorporated into strength training programs on the belief that a labile surface will provide a greater challenge to the trunk muscles, increase the dynamic balance of the user and possibly help to stabilize the spine in order to prevent injuries”

 

Coming soon: Humans on Mars. Same kind of statement. The above quote starts by talking about beliefs. Look, are we a faith or are we a science? We can’t have both. If we believe something to be true…it also has to be true. For a long time, the world was flat. We believed it to be true, so it was true. We have come a long way since Galileo. We actually have to test our beliefs to see if it is worth using.

 

I am a meathead. Swiss balls are fun to play tug-o-war or work on balance (such as advocated by Paul Check), but they are not good for building stability. To be stable is to be the opposite of mobile. We need to make our trunk opposite of mobile. We can do this by resisting a heavy load.

 

  1. “…one must ensure that their training regimen incorporates training specificity”

 

Joe Weider. The name brings back memories of the old Weider barbell sets sold at Sears. We had the concrete filled plastic weights. My how far we have come…and yet the same principles still apply. If you want to get better at throwing a punch, don’t work on kicks and if you want to be a better swimmer, don’t practice skydiving. If we want to be strong and stable (i.e. immobile), then we need to practice on being strong and stable.

 

  1. “The practical application of training the trunk stabilizers from a supine or prone position may not transfer effectively to the predominately erect activities of daily living”

 

If we pair point 6 and point 7, then there’s only one real reason to practice exercises in a horizontal position…you know what I mean (wink, wink).

 

Anyway, the new buzz words are functional fitness. The above statement is essentially saying that doing exercises that are not similar to what you would do during your day may not be functional. You hear the old joke about 12 oz curls, yeah I’ve heard it too. If all you do all day is drink grape nehi, then you don’t need to do anymore than that. It’s functional for you.

 

  1. “Perhaps a combination of relatively high-intensity resistance using free weights (light to moderate instability) can provide greater activation than the very popular instability exercises commonly used today”

 

DUH! Anyway, the authors are finally talking about a quantity of activation. There is no doubt that lifting a beer bottle will activate your arms and trunk muscles, but I’ll take the guy that is lifting kegs for fun if I was a betting man.

 

  1. “The 80% 1RM squat exercise exhibited significantly greater LSES EMG activity than all other exercises…exceeding the body weight squat, deadlift, superman, sidebridge exercises by 56, 56.6,65.5 and 53.1% respectively”

 

When compared to dead lifting, side bridging and superman, the squat is THE KING OF ALL EXERCISES! For lumbar spine muscles. Hear that all you bird-doggers! Hear that all you supermanners! There is nothing better than loading a heavy barbell with 45 pound plates and squatting down and standing up. I miss the sound of the 45 pound plates vibrating next to each other when you walk the bar out. I use bumper plates nowadays. Not as much testosterone as the steel, but a hell of a lot safer for my garage floor if I have to dump the weight.

 

Put it into perspective, this exercise is 50% better than most popular exercises. Everyone can squat. Everyone has to get off of the toilet. If you don’t, you will end up in a home because no one wants to help you off of the toilet and wipe your behind for free.

 

  1. “The 80% 1 RM deadlift exercise exhibited significantly greater ULES EMG activity than all other exercises”

 

There is a reason why powerlifters have such thick backs. They specialize in the 2 exercises that work both the lower and upper lumbar muscles.

 

  1. “…it may be unnecessary to add calisthenic-type instability exercises to a training program to promote core stability if full-body, dynamic, upright exercises are implemented in the program”

 

Time to turn off the t.v. Stop buying all of the infomercial crap and just get up off the couch…now sit down…stand up…sit down…stand up…sit down. Now go do the same thing while holding a can of soup. You are now stronger than you were yesterday.

 

Excerpts taken from:

Hamlyn N, Behm DG, Young WB. TRUNK MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING DYNAMIC WEIGHT-TRAINING EXERCISES AND ISOMETRIC INSTABILITY ACTIVITIES. Journal of Strength Conditioning Research. 2007;21(4):1108-1112.