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Why are Good Sprinters Pigeon Toed or have Straight Feet?

You are here: Home / Witty / Commentary / Why are Good Sprinters Pigeon Toed or have Straight Feet?
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June 9, 2011 by Jimson Lee 8 Comments

Last Updated on February 22, 2012 by Jimson Lee

For a non-pigeon toed sprinter, the best example of the worse case scenario would have to go to Ato Bolden (see the head-on slow-motion video below with Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin from the 1995 World Championships archives)

One of the reasons why Ato runs that way is from his early days playing soccer (football).  But that didn’t stop him from running world class times.  You run the way you run.  You are born with certain physical traits from your Mother and Father (and perhaps God, but I’ll leave out religious views here)

The logic for having straight feet or being pigeon toed is is easy, but there’s no real scientific proof for this phenomenon.  I do have my theories, though.

First, you can gain (or lose) up to a centimeter (say half an inch) per every stride.  Imagine if you can add half an inch for every stride multiplied by 46 strides in a 100 meters, and that’s 23 inches, or nearly 2 feet!  (or 60 cm)  That can be the difference between 1st and 4th.

Second, there are just a lot of pigeon toed sprinters or sprinters with straight feet out there!  Success duplicates success.  Ato is an exception to the rule.

Third, biomechanics have shown you land on the outside of your foot and then roll toward the inside in the recovery cycle.  By being pigeon toed, you have less of this roll.  Less roll could also mean a stiffer ankle, and last time I checked, sprinters all want stiff track spikes for greater force production during ground contact.  Stiffer feet means energy is transferred and not absorbed.  Memories of my high school physics with billiard balls comes to mind.  However, pigeon-toed people are often bow-legged which may lead to other injuries and may explain the short “life-span” of elite sprinters.

See also  Methylhexaneamine and Supplement Contamination

And that is why we do endless drills.  Focus on proper mechanics (such as watching out for dorsiflexion, for example) and keep the toes and feet straight.  Check for limited range of motion as it could be a soft tissue injury, or an injury waiting to happen.

Facebook and RSS readers, click here for the video.

 

Category iconCommentary,  Featured Story,  Track & Field,  Training

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

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Comments

  1. Jared says

    June 9, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    I understand why dorsiflexion is important, but what are the negatives of doing the opposite, plantar flexion? How can I make sure I am still running on my toes but that I am dorsiflexed and not plantar flexed?

    Reply
  2. Cov-god says

    June 10, 2011 at 5:38 pm

    @jared what your saying is one of the biggest problems with coaching!

    You have been given a cue that either has not been fully explained or the coach didn’t know them selves.

    The cue ‘on your toes’ actually refers to finish position, to indicate a full extension (triple extension of the leg at all joints) and not that you try landing on your toes.

    This is where dorsiflexion plays it’s part, landing in a predominant dorsiflexion position allows less ankle roll and ‘give’ of the calf muscles (stiffer joint resulting in less sink and faster GCT)

    Reply
  3. paul graham says

    June 12, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    Good points cov-god!
    The season is building and will soon be at an end. This means i’ll be analysing the season of my sprinters and working out what worked well or not so well. I am considering employing the following ideas into next years regimine and would like your thoughts to perhaps save me a year of trial and error……

    Gluteham raises.
    eccentric GHR.
    Calf raises.
    eccentric calf raises.
    twice a week of bulgarian split squatting, SLDL, single leg hip thrusts instead of once.
    deload week every 6th instead of 4th.
    less hypertrophy (8 weeks) more max strength work.
    descending rep ranges e.g 6,4,3,2,1
    6 sets of max strength work e.g 6+
    10-20 minute runs, pre-season for 400m runners

    Many coaches such as kelly baggett, marc magniacotti, eric cressey incoorporate the above weight exercises, but Vern gambetta (who i think is smart as hell) believes gluteham raises are as bad as hamstring curl machines and will only lead to hamstring pulls.

    Thoughts?

    Reply
  4. Cov-god says

    June 15, 2011 at 10:35 am

    I am not a fan of majorly complex sessions and will tend to stick with major muscle group activities

    If you get chance to get the book ‘bigger faster stronger’ by Greg sheperd it’s got some periodisation that we tend to follow during our winter prep phase. Once abase is in place, we switch to max strength on a 3-1 (3weeks-1week) rotation. Working heavily around squat/box squat and deadlifts

    I personally prefer using the ghr and variations only in the unload week, but we do add eccentric ham curls once a fortnight throughout the winter and stop a month before any racing commences

    As for 400m again I believe in building a foundation that runs throughout, I believe a better vo2 is beneficial for 4 runners

    Reply
    • Jimson Lee says

      June 15, 2011 at 1:19 pm

      we use 3weeks hard / 1week easy throughout the year. It helps the athletes plan ahead for life outside of Track, especially the student athletes. Luckily, US Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays fall in a 3/1 schedule, so that helps.

      Reply
  5. Anthony Wallace says

    June 16, 2011 at 5:57 am

    I have added gluteham raises to my program and i have seen many of my athletes issues go away. I dont see them as bad as leg curls but i think every lift has its place. I worked with some baseball players and sprinters and I watched them all become better at accelrating this year and watched there times drop in their races and play on the field from using gluteham raises. I became a better starting out of blocks because of them but thats my theory. I know Mike Young or Dennis Shaver or Vince Anderson but I think all lifts have their time and place.

    Reply
  6. Anthony Wallace says

    June 16, 2011 at 7:17 am

    I’m not* Mike Young etc…..

    Reply
  7. Anthony Wallace says

    June 16, 2011 at 7:30 am

    http://www.elitetrack.com/blogs/details/6038/

    @ 9:21 here is the Glute Hams that I am refering too. I feel like i have made ground Mike Young has his group doing the same thing.

    Reply

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