Its Not The Shoes

Running aches and pains are a frequent topic of discussion with clients and other people I see at the gym.  I was just asked asked yesterday, "what causes shin splints,?"  Good question.  There are probably several factors that come into play.  I discussed them in my post Born To Run .  In Christopher McDougall's book of the same name, he does provide a lot of support for why running shoes, especially expensive, motion control shoes, don't help.  And just recently a study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found no difference in the frequency of injury among Marine Corp basic training recruits.  This study, which was a randomized, prospective clinical trial, supports the fact that using a motion control shoe does not lessen the injury rate.   The shoes were even matched to the plantar arch level (low, medium, or high arches), just like they do at the running shoe store. 

I agree with McDougall that running mechanics are probably integral in decreasing injury rate.  The problem is, mechanics are not a one size fits all fix.  It is very individualized.  Secondly, changing mechanics takes time.  There is not a quick fix, only sound training, which  is going to include: mobility, stability, strength, technique, speed, and endurance work.