UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, , Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
Br J Sports Med. 2014 Mar;48(5):349-55. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092404. Epub 2013 Oct 9.
Barefoot running has become a popular research topic, driven by the increasing prescription of barefoot running as a means of reducing injury risk. Proponents of barefoot running cite evolutionary theories that long-distance running ability was crucial for human survival, and proof of the benefits of natural running. Subsequently, runners have been advised to run barefoot as a treatment mode for injuries, strength and conditioning. The body of literature examining the mechanical, structural, clinical and performance implications of barefoot running is still in its infancy. Recent research has found significant differences associated with barefoot running relative to shod running, and these differences have been associated with factors that are thought to contribute to injury and performance. Crucially, long-term prospective studies have yet to be conducted and the link between barefoot running and injury or performance remains tenuous and speculative. The injury prevention potential of barefoot running is further complicated by the complexity of injury aetiology, with no single factor having been identified as causative for the most common running injuries. The aim of the present review was to critically evaluate the theory and evidence for barefoot running, drawing on both collected evidence as well as literature that have been used to argue in favour of barefoot running. We describe the factors driving the prescription of barefoot running, examine which of these factors may have merit, what the collected evidence suggests about the suitability of barefoot running for its purported uses and describe the necessary future research to confirm or refute the barefoot running hypotheses.
赤脚跑步已成为一个热门的研究课题，其驱动力是赤脚跑步作为降低受伤风险的一种方法的应用越来越广泛。赤脚跑步的支持者引用了进化理论，即长距离跑步能力对人类的生存至关重要，并证明了自然跑步的好处。随后，建议跑步者赤脚跑步，作为一种治疗受伤、增强力量和调节身体状态的方式。目前，关于赤脚跑步对机械、结构、临床和表现影响的文献研究还处于起步阶段。最近的研究发现，与穿鞋跑步相比，赤脚跑步存在显著差异，这些差异与被认为导致受伤和表现下降的因素有关。至关重要的是，还没有进行长期前瞻性研究，赤脚跑步与受伤或表现之间的联系仍然是不确定的和推测性的。赤脚跑步的预防受伤潜力进一步复杂化，因为受伤的病因非常复杂，没有一个单一的因素被确定为导致最常见的跑步受伤的原因。本综述的目的是批判性地评估赤脚跑步的理论和证据，既参考已收集的证据，也参考那些被用来支持赤脚跑步的文献。我们描述了推动赤脚跑步处方的因素，考察了这些因素中有哪些可能有价值，已收集的证据表明赤脚跑步适合其所谓的用途，并描述了未来需要进行哪些研究来证实或反驳赤脚跑步假说。
