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ASICS PRO Team Q&A: Understand Your Biomechanics with Clifton Bradeley
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Hi everyone
Podiatrist - and ASICS Running Clinics PRO Team member - Clifton Bradeley will be online between 2pm and 4pm today to answer your questions about biomechanics.
Clifton is a running specialist with 21 years' experience in clinical biomechanics. A former athlete himself, Clifton finished 20th in the World Cross-Country Championships and broke the British Indoor mile record in 1985.
Today, he's here to help you achieve your potential by becoming more biomechanically efficient. Whether you're wondering about the best posture, or how to improve your running style, Clifton can help.
Start posting your questions now - that way, Clifton will be able to get stuck in straight away and answer as many questions as possible!
Alice
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
If you were forced to choose only one exercise to be performed to train the optimum running form, which exercise would it be and how best to perform it?
Is it more beneficial to concentrate on form when you are fresh or when you are fatigued?
Do you think that the body usually deals with oddities of running style by working out its own counterbalances, thus making any artificial attempts to alter running form a wee bit risky?
I ask this as a general question relating to the hand you've been dealt. Numerous examples spring to mind of people who had what were considered 'poor' running styles until they went on to prove otherwise. As one example, Michael Johnson was seen as a bit of an oddity being so upright and even leaning back slightly. Perceived wisdom suggested that this was, in effect, acting as a braking effect on his running. Once he'd run 9.32 secs for 200m with the handbrake on though those suggestions subsided.
I can see a big difference between correcting bad habits that people have fallen into and returning to their more efficient 'natural' style but trying to alter a biomechanic oddity that has been present since birth may just shift the 'problem' elsewhere?
My question is with regards to weight - is there a fulcrum point at which it becomes biomechanically difficult to run? I see a lot of larger people out running and they always run in slightly odd fashions and I was wondering if this is because they are new to running (so havent developed an efficient style) or because they are carrying so much weight they cannot run efficiently...
If this was true wouldnt it be better to advise people to take up running after weight loss because then they wont develop bad habits/injuries from these habits?
I have been running for just over a year and ran my first half-marathon six weeks ago. Due to various minor illnesses my training schedule went out the window and I hadn't really achieved the mileage prior to the race that I had intended. In the last 2 miles I was feeling some discomfort in my ITB.
I've been taking it fairly easy since then but have recently been having twinges on the inside of my right knee. Not really when running but when generally moving around and particularly when twisting.
I over pronate and wear Saucony Omni 8's, which largely correct the over pronation, but not completely - I couldn't find a pair that corrected it completely.
Do you think the problem with my knee is due to the over pronation, the tight ITB or possibly a combination of both and what do you suggest would be the best course of action?
I've considered seeking some help with it but don't know whether I should see a podiatrist or a sports physio.
Hello Clifton
I've been wearing orthotics since 1983. They were prescribed by a local podiatrist after a very lengthy assessment and I've been pretty well injury-free since, though they were altered slightly to sort out a problem with Moreton's Neuroma in both feet (a small pad added under the metatarsal arch).
However, I wonder whether I ought to be reassessed at some point. Maybe the original problem (sore knees) has sorted itself out - certainly my gait has changed over the years.
One other question - I like running in lightweight flats, but I find that some shoes accommodate orthotics better than others. For instance, my latest Adidas Adizero Adios (arrived yesterday!) don't feel at all comfortable with orthotics - very tight in the forefoot, which could lead to the return of the MN I believe. Would I do myself any damage if I were to do occasional runs/races without my orthotics?
Many thanks
Edward Collier
Hi,
I have very wide feet and bunions. My second toe is also longer than my big toe. I am a mild to moderate over pronator of light weight and I'm short and female. Oh and my knees point inward.
My Q. is about what choices to make when buying trainers. I have some that are quite oversized in order to fit my wide foot. Does this make any support in the shoe worthless or dangerous by being in the wrong place? I have Nike Lunarglides / Vomeroos and Asics GT2130 / 40 (the 2 latter in wide fittings).
I get knee pain when wearing the Asics but not the Nikes. I also use Newtons and Saucony Fastwitch 4. the Newtons are a great fit, very wide in the forefoot. they are however single minded in being for forefoot striking. Maybe not so useful for marathon running and certainly not for off road use.
What do you suggest I look for in a trainer?
Curly 45 poses an interesting Q.
To expand a bit - is there an optimum running weight. can you be too light? (excepting the obvious).
hi
wouldn't normally write but frustrated and unsure of where to turn to next. pulled my left groin at the end of 2006 which has never been diagnosed nor healed, and has left me with a constant niggle, and a predisposition to pulled (medial) quads and hamstrings - which i do often. it's affected the rest of my lower limb too. i've a dodgy left knee, left shin, left ankle, left (medial) foot and left big toe which have all been problematic for about the last year and a half. (i'm wondering if i've the beginnings of posterior tendon dysfunction as my arches could possibly be described as flat). i've been given some nhs orthotics to correct a leg length discrepancy - (shorter right leg) - which have not made any difference. pronator trainers also don't seem to help. i reckon my running style is part of the problem - i'm heavy footed and run on the outsides of my feet and then flex my legs back behind the opposite leg, (if that makes sense). it also feels as if i run with my forefoot medially rotated and my hindfoot in valgus.
i'm not getting anywhere with the gp, and the physio helps to treat the symptoms but not the cause. what would you suggest?
thanks jill.
Hi Chris,
I have been back running consistently for about 6 months, and have a half marathon on Saturday (yay!). Have been doing hill work, intervals, and distance - so all the good stuff. I have orthotics and have done since about 2004 for pronation. I wear Adidas Ride for all my training, I wear these rather loose in the front, but have noticed my new pair are a bit tighter across the front than the old ones...
I am getting soreness at the insides of my feet, just past the big toes... My initial research indicates that this could be the beginnings of bunions by location and so forth... What can I do to halt this getting worse, and sort it out overall?? I am working on the ITB / Glute strenght a bit as I know those are weak areas.
Thank you!
Hi Clifton, I have been experiencing an ongoing problem with pain at the bottom of my right big toe for a number of years now. I sometimes experience it when running and sometimes when playing football, especially on astrograss.
I have high arches and I supinate slightly. I have been wearing Mizuno Wave Rider 11s and will soon move to Wave Rider 13s. My right foot is smaller than my left by nearly a full size, so I wear different size shoes on each foot.
I have seen podiatrists in the past, one in particular was able to help with some of her suggestions but she did not solve the problem, and the problem has never completely gone away, and she is no longer available.
Is there a possibility that the big toe is damaged and I should go to my GP? Or should I persist in trying to find a solution using orthotics? Do I run the risk of causing permanent damage and problems in later life if I do not get this problem sorted out? I am in my early 30s.
I believe my running style puts a lot of pressure on my calves and not so much on the upper leg muscles. If I cramp up it is always the calves.
Thanks.
Stephen
hello, i waer standard nutural Asics, and have nad my feet filmed so can see i have a nutural foot fall. But..... I waer down the right side of my right heel very quickly indeed. ( last pair lasted not more thn 100miles)
I was told that i probably need to see a Podiatrist , would you be able to add any thing more techincal to this
Im 44, joined my first running club last year, before that i kind of ran when i wanted, so now im a lot more concentrated on running these things are being pucked up
thanks
hops its clear
Hello Clifton, I had a pair of your orthotics since end of February, to help cure a lower back problem on the right hand side, resulting from a slightly longer right leg. As a result of wearing the orthotics I am having a constant problem with tightness in my left quads and IT band. After seeing a physio yesterday who confirmed the leg difference ( 1cm ) questioned why the rightl eg orthotic is built up more than the left , should this be the other way round according to logical thinking , to balance both legs out. He feels at their present set up is resulting in my left leg problems, Recommends I convert to mild over pronation shoes Asics 2150, as my right foot is pretty neutral and my left slightly overpronates. One peice of good news wearing the orthotics has eased the lower back quite considerably.
Hi Ratzer,
Thank you for your question. After thirty five years in running and 22 years as a practitioner dealing with running biomechanics I would say let your own body tell you your running style. I have looked at the pose, Chi, etc running styles and although suit some people, I woud say they don't suit the majority. This is because most people have a medially deviated axis at the subtalar joint of the foot (in plain English) and are over pronators to some degree and therefore run heel-to-toe. You have to have the genetic biomechanics and anatomy to run on your forefoot in a steady state run (we all run on our toes running fast!). If you are not suited to forefoot running and lean forward, and have one leg longer than the other (most people) you will increase your risk of Achilles, Plantar fascia ligament, shin splints and lower back pain etc. Best single exercise for runners, especially over 30's is leg squats reps of 2 sets of 3x25, 3x weekly, as this works the quads and calves, which are the decelerators of the gravitational pull on your body at midstance.
Yours in sport
Clifton,
I came to see you four years ago with tight calf muscles from running on the track in the summer. You told me that I over pronate and needed orthotics. I bought them for about £370 including and assessment and struggled for the next three years with various back/hip related injuries. I never came back to you because it was quite a while afterwards that I realised that it was no coincidence. Injury after injury and the penny finally drops that I know what is wrong. I spent a lot of time assessing anatomy and physiology and realised that the shape of the orthotics was creating these pains. Is there anything else that you would suggest such as exercises or do you purely advise people to buy orthotics?
Also, at what point would you advise people to return to you if they were struggling with them. I say this because I know it takes a while to get used to them. For me, I was never going to get used to these.
ps I've now gone without the orthotics for in excess of a year and I've not had any back problems. It's fantastic to be able to do what I used to. I also run in the Asics cumulus which is a neutral shoe. The only time I get tight calves now is from when I don't have them massaged on a regular basis.
Martin Whitehouse
I've been running over a year now and my left ankle has always making a clicking noise.. I get no pain from this post running or whilst running but am interested it what may be causing this to happen..
When running with others they always comment on the noise coming from my ankle.. Who should I go and see..
Hi Egyptian Toes (love the name! bet it's a long story where that name came from!),
I am always very honest about orthotics as there are so many opinions. This is because verybody wants to do biomechanics at the moment, it is becoming very popular. The facts are that orthotics are not for everybody! However, I will tell you about my own experiences with them. I have run all my life, my international career was finished through an injury created by a long right leg running indoors for England. If I had orthtics at 19 yoa, I would probably have gone to the 1988 Olympic, but injury finished me. I have worn them for the last twenty years even as I type now, and my posture has never felt so good. Orthotics are all about the assessment and diagnosis, not only having a good product. A good orthotic but poor assessment will probably no do anything to help. A good podiatrist with a good assessment protocol and good orthotics is a very owerful tool. Remember 95% of the worlds population has one leg longer than the other and it is a very big cause of bunoins especially if one is worse than the other. Often a short limb as a worse bunion due to early heel lift on that side. Hope this help. Other professions do orthotics too!
Happy running
Clifton,
This is going to sound like a very basic, even stupid question but I am going to ask anyway. I run between 20-40 miles per week (depending on what distance I am training for), I always stretch after a run (but rarely before) and am running marathons at 3:04 PB. However, I cannot and never have been able to touch my toes.
I've had problems with compartment syndrome and achillies problems and every physio who has seen me has told me I have incredibly short, tight hamstrings,
Is there anything I can do, other than the stock stretches given out by all physios/websites to lengthen my hamstrings so that I can reduce the chance of injuries.
Thanks
Hi Clifton
I've started running in March and am entered into a 10 K in July and half marathon in Sept. After a couple of weeks I stumbled and got a severe pain in my right foot (outside half way along top of foot in line with little and second toe). I tried to run a couple of times but after taking advice, I stopped running for three weeks and rested from running (though didn't ice or compress except whilst I was exercising).
After starting again I stepped up my training - longer and including some faster hill running and noticed I had shin splints and knee pain - had my feet assessed and was told I have mild over pronounceation and bought some new trainers last Sat. First time I put them on I got an instant pain in my left foot (same as in right). Thought shoe was too tight so adjusted and went for a walk - too painful to run. Pain has been constant since.
Looking on forum posts I think it may be an inflamed my peroneus brevis tendon. I am resting, icing, compressing and elevating and though very painful it seems to be getting better quicker than the right foot.
Can you advise me what has caused this - did the new shoes play any factor (perhaps reangling my foot to a position its not used to). They said to go back if there was any problems, so thinking of popping in tomorrow.
Also want to be able to run the races not walk, so what can I do to prevent it from reoccuring.
Thanks
Hi Shaun,
Great question for a common problem. Much of my success with my athletes and footballers comes from understanding how the legs function underneath the pelvis (which is underneath the body centre of gravity/centre of mass (COM)). In other words if one set of levers in one leg is functioning differently to the other side? That is the first question you need to find out. You also need to know if your COM is discplaced to one side? The answer to both these questions comes from the pelvic and lower back. If you are asymmetrical around the pelvis for what ever reason, this will make the legs function asymmetrically leading to this type of issue. We know from research (mine too!) that 60 to 65% of people have a longer left leg. I often see this type of issue in the left ankle in these cases. Solution: Start off simple and cheap. Get on a treadmill, get a friend to see if your pelvis goes up on one side at midstance (google), if so book a biomechancal assessment. This shoud help. You may have some kind of bony exostosis (bone growth) and your GP could send you for an X-ray. Often clicking is simply ligaments passing over bony prominences caused by biomechanical dysfnction. You could even try change your shoes. I run in ASICS kayano 16, very stable, very comfortable.
hope this helps
Clifton
Hi Clifton
I have been running for several years and have had injury problems when increasing my distance - mainly in my knees. I had a lot of physio and was told that the main problem was me being knock-kneed. When I run, my knees move inwards and my feet stick out behind me.
I've now got a peroneal tendon problem that started after my first marathon last Sunday. I think I have Morton's toe as well.
My question is - are these injuries and the toe issue likely to be related and what is the best thing to do about them?
Clifton,
Please could you give me the full references for the following:
(1) That 95% of the worlds population has a leg length discrepancy
(2) That 60-65% of people have a longer left leg
Many thanks
SDoB
Hi Martin,
Thank you for your honest comments. Good practitioners have high levels of success, but we can't cure everything. As I have written in a previous comment earlier today 'orthotics are not for everybody', however they have a very high success rate if you need them. Often they are only a small part of a solution and other times the total solution. It is a shame you did not come back to me straight away instead of choosing this forum four years later make your honest feedback. I will always do everything in my power and experience to help people especially if they need further help. I am delighted you are better off with your current regime, but if you need more help I am very happy to advice via email at clifton @sub-4.co.uk.
Good luck Martin
Hi Sir Dave
I have lists of references for you. Emal Clifton@sub-4.co.uk about leg length inequlaity (LLI). I am in the middle of my PhD on LLI at the moment part time, between many other projects. The 65% is more difficult to find references on as it is new information into the world of biomechanics based on Sub-4 research.
Contact me Dave.
Hi Clifton,
I'm not after lists of references - I can get those myself from a literature search. I just want to know the one reference for the study which concluded 95% of the worlds population has an inequality in leg length. If you could post it up here I'd be grateful.
Many thanks
SDoB