Does pushing into the ground harder toss you higher or forward faster
accelerate308
Question:
Asked by accelerate308 - 6 answers - 3 years 46 weeks ago
Does pushing into the ground harder toss you higher or forward faster
One technique being taught is to toe off. Everyone toes off, so it is not clear what they mean by toe off to run faster.
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Toe-off has no effect on speed except to keep the leap as low as you can to clear the ground with the foot that is moving forward. That way you can get to the ground faster to improve your stride frequency, which helps making you faster.
I disagree with your first comment and your second comment contradicts the first too.
Since the foot is the only part of the body in contact with the floor while running, it initiates the ground reaction force and is the last body segment to contribute to the ground reaction force. Therefore the sum of forces generated from ankle, knee and hip extension is greater than the individuals. Toe off is ankle extension so yes it will contribute to running faster and jumping regardless of the event or distance.
Infact keeing the ankle joint stiff while running helps to improve the utilisation of stored elastic energy. Therefore the toe off has a larger contribution to running speed than you would expect (studies have shown up to 50% of low limb energy from stored elastic energy).
Newtons third law of equal and opposite reactions would suggest that if the resultant action is more forceful, the reaction will be equal so generating a greater impulse to move forward. If this is the case, stride length and frequency are a result of greater impulses of ground reaction not the other away around (obviously near perfect technique will be needed to fully utilise this impulse).
I was told by a friend of mine who has just come first woman in a marathon, that you preserve energy when you land lightly on your feet.
I always wondered about stride length with sprinters. I figured since the idea for a sprinter is to go as fast as possbile with no regard for energy reserves unlike a distance runner who has to plan ahead. In this case shortening the stride may be beneficial since it would increase stride frequency. Afterall speed is only increased during contact with the ground during midstance and toe-off. Do you agree?
Most are ignorant to there being are a correct stepping action for running. Watching the profile of the majority you'll see much energy is spent travelling upward instead of forward; there's a lot of bounce in many's step. As well, for the same group, often the foot strike of the next step contacts the ground ahead of the person's centre of gravity. Both the bounce and ahead of centre of gravity foot strike make for great inefficiency. Also, a great marketing feature for shoes is there absorption of energy from each step. Now, physiologically speaking, you can use feet, ankles, knees, and hips to absorb the landing stresses from each step. OR, in agreement with Alex Wolf's comments about Newton's laws of physics, you can strive to conserve/maintain the energy from one step and carry it into the next. Not mentioned earlier, many run with to slow a turnover/cadence. You want a minimum of 90 turnover or 180 steps per minute. Imagine your legs in sort of a cycling action. Each time your foot comes to the low point of the cycle your foot is passing under you, beneath your centre of gravity. The same should hold true for running. Your foot should contact the ground toward the forefoot during an average run or more toward the toes for a sprint. Also, the goal should be to minimize "contact times", that is the time your foot is actually on the ground. You need to read about fast legs not being too loose and limber. You need to train tight, springy, explosive muscles. Develop tight ankles and calves. Research agility training. You can't let your joints absorb much; as soon as one foot contacts the ground to complete one step you want it to spontaneously snap off or spring into the next one. We all know runners faster and more impressive than ourselves - watch them; analyze their technique.
A point I left out somewhere in my last answer regarding foot strike relative to centre of gravity - don't heel strike. Some beginner running groups are still learning to land heel first. Your heel lands ahead of your centre of gravity and is, in fact, actually a method of braking, of slowing down. Your foot should already be coming back beneath you when it strikes the ground, not reaching out in front of you.