Quote:
Originally Posted by Willravel
You're suggesting my muscles and tendons can't relearn or adapt? I've adapted to barefoot running over the past 6-8 months pretty well. I don't want to get too off-topic, but I've never heard that muscles and tendons can't adapt to new movements. Are you sure about that?
|
Yes, I'm sure. So is science. The soles of your feet and muscles may have adapted to barefoot running, but the tendons and ligaments haven't yet. Muscle and skin is incredibly easy to train. Tendons and ligaments aren't. Actually, they aren't trainable at all since there's no perceptable change in them as muscle strength builds and ebbs. Their elasticity doesn't really improve after adolecence.
Think about this - how long does it take to fully recover from a moderate-serious sprained ankle? If you answered anything less than a year, you're wrong. It takes that long for the ligaments to regain their "springyness", if they ever do (see my right ankle for that example).
There's nothing wrong with barefoot running/working out, but you need to know that you're at risk for injury, particularly as you build intensity. After all, you go pounding around Asfault America long enough, and a piece of grizzle is going to go *pop*, and then you'll be a pedestrian.