Stability vs. Support: How Do We Know What Runners Need? | DOR Podcast #86

 

DOR Podcast #86: Stability vs. Support: How Do We Know What Runners Need? (ft. Dr. Matt Trudeau from Brooks Running)

Nate, DJ, and Matt are joined today by a very special guest, Dr. Matt Trudeau of Brooks Running. Matt gives us insights into shoe research and development at Brooks. He also explains Brooks' unique take on stability, support, and how to find the right shoe for your unique running style.

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About Matt Trudeau

Dr. Matt Trudeau is originally from Montréal, QC, Canada. His background is in mechanical engineering: he completed his Bachelor’s degree at Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS, Canada), and his Master’s degree at University of Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke, QC, Canada) where he studied the role of fascia in poly-articular biomechanics. He then completed a doctoral degree in Ergonomics and Human Factors at Harvard University. He then went on to do a Postdoc with Benno Nigg at the University of Calgary. He now leads the Brooks Future Concepts Team at Brooks, where he’s been for the last 7 years. Matt is also the industry representative on the board of the Footwear Biomechanics Group

Chapters

0:00 - Introduction 
1:46 - The Subjective: How long does it take you to know whether a shoe's going to work for you? 
2:56: - Matt Trudeau's background 
13:01 - Brooks' research methods
21:13 - Examining your own biomechanics when choosing shoes 
23:52 - Pronation vs deviation and the need for support 
27:12 - Brooks GuideRails & support features 
36:53 - The science behind drop ratio 
46:51 - Using the comfort filter to find shoes for you 
53:49 - Researching the link between shoes and injury reduction 
58:25 - Support in trail shoes 
1:08:27 - Research and innovation at Brooks
1:12:43 - Wrap up

Science Blog:
 Injury Prevention and the Role of a Running Shoe Rotation
By Contributor Nathan Brown

As the popularity of running continues to grow, understanding how injuries occur and how to prevent them is a main focus within the world of research. Factors such as training habits, participation in other sport activities, and specific strength training have all been assessed. Additionally, looking at what kind of footwear may help decrease risk of injury has also been assessed, but results are typically mixed when trying to match people to shoes by giving global recommendations. 

One thing that has been shown to reduce injury when it comes to footwear is having a shoe rotation. A study was performed with 264 runners who they followed for 22 weeks (Malisoux et al 2015). After assessing the final incidence of injury (87 runners), they found that the group of runners who had more than one shoe in their rotation (their main shoe for less than 58% of the time) had a 39% lower risk of a running-related injury. A potential reason for this reduction in risk is related to the highly repetitive nature of running, which rears its head as progressive microtrauma injuries. 

What multiple shoes within a rotation may do is slightly alter the loading through the foot and ultimately the entire kinetic chain, changing loading, stress, and strain, through the tendons, ligaments, and muscles in the body. These variations, although small, seem to help reduce injury by reducing microtrauma over time. While it may cost capital on the front end, a shoe rotation will ultimately cost you the same over time. We recommend going to a shoe store to find two to three shoes that fit well, are comfortable, and have different specifications (drop, weight, softness) to create a shoe rotation that fits your needs.

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