In 52 collegiate cross-country runners, about 74% had a moderate or severe injury each year; habitual rearfoot strikers had about twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries of habitual forefoot strikers, while traumatic injury rates did not differ significantly
The abstract names no Achilles, calf or metatarsal results
Strike characteristics of middle- and long-distance runners on one collegiate cross-country team were measured and their injury histories quantified: incidence and rate of specific injuries, severity, and rates of mild, moderate and severe injuries per mile run.
Participants
n=52: 36 (69%) mainly rearfoot strikers, 16 (31%) mainly forefoot strikers.
Protocol
Retrospective injury history; generalized linear model of repetitive injury rate on strike type, sex, race distance and weekly mileage.
Key Results
Habitual rearfoot strikers had approximately twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries of habitual forefoot strikers.
Traumatic injury rates were not significantly different between groups.
Approximately 74% of all runners had a moderate or severe injury each year (whole team; the abstract gives no per-group overall rate).
Strike type, sex, race distance and average weekly miles each correlated significantly (P < 0.01) with repetitive injury rates.
Authors: the causal basis is not tested; absence of a marked impact peak in forefoot striking is one hypothesis.
Practical Application
A blog claim that overall injury rates were comparable is not what the abstract reports: repetitive stress injuries differed (about twofold higher in rearfoot strikers) and only traumatic injuries did not differ. The claim that forefoot strikers had more Achilles, calf and metatarsal injuries does not appear in the abstract at all.
Inference: this cannot justify switching a runner's strike; the review REF-1113 grades this injury evidence as limited and retrospective.
Limitations
Retrospective injury history; one team; 16 forefoot strikers.
Strike type measured at one time point, not necessarily the pattern when injured.
Injury-site results (if any) not reported in the abstract.
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level
retrospective, single team, small forefoot group; does not test cause