Does a softer surface reduce ground reaction forces on the body?
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2000)1 measured the effect of jumping and stepping on step benches with different amounts of stiffness. It found that despite the varying degrees of forgiveness, the magnitude of the “ground reaction forces” (the force absorbed by the body when it impacts a surface) was identical from one bench to the next. In running, an athlete must create a ground reaction force, equal to 200% of their body weight, in order to propel himself/herself through space. The research findings tell us that no matter how soft the surface is, the amount of force that the body is subjected to is always the same. Another study from Biomechanics Vol. 7B (1981)2 tested the effects of soft-soled running shoes on ground reaction forces and found similar results. Again, the total ground reaction force was 200% regardless of the make up of the shoe – further establishing that a soft running surface does nothing to reduce the overall forces on the
