Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://bit.ly/4c602k2 Irene Davis is the founding Director of the Spaulding National Running Center at the Harvard Medical School. In this episode, Irene describes how her research of biomechanics and clinical work with running injuries, as well as research by others, has shaped her views on maintaining body alignment and foot health. Irene discusses her argument for the role of modern footwear in running-related injuries and how minimalist footwear helps resolve the subsequent biomechanical issues. We discuss: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:20 - Irene’s path to her Ph.D., her entry into physical therapy, and her interest in biomechanics 00:07:15 - How Irene’s thinking about the use of orthotics has changed 00:10:30 - The evolution of the human foot and the transition from walking to running 00:17:30 - The evolution of shoes and its impact on running injuries 00:26:00 - An overview of running injuries 00:29:30 - Cushioned running shoes, heel striking and impact forces 00:33:45 - Shin splints 00:35:30 - How heel strike patterns promotes knee stress through rate of loading 00:42:15 - The critical importance of exercise 00:45:45 - Impact forces and injury potential 00:49:00 - How shoe cushioning alters impact forces despite forefoot striking 00:52:30 - An overview of minimalist shoes 00:58:45 - Irene’s protocol for transitioning people out of orthotics 01:05:30 - Transitioning to minimalist shoes and a forefoot strike 01:07:00 - Foot muscle volume, minimalist shoes, and orthotics 01:09:45 - The recognition of the importance of foot strength in podiatry 01:12:30 - Minimalist shoes across the lifespan—from children to adults 01:20:00 - Why learning to forefoot strike on soft surfaces is not the best approach 01:21:45 - Knee valgus and factors related to knee injury 01:28:30 - IT band syndrome 01:33:15 - Physics and ground reaction forces 01:36:00 - Irene’s approach to retraining a runner’s gait 01:42:15 - Case study—How the transition to minimalist shoes decreased injury and improved performance 01:45:30 - Importance of proper movement patterns and the negative influence of our modern environment Show notes page: https://peterattiamd.com/irenedavis About: The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 30 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/ Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Connect with Peter on: Facebook: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW Instagram: http://bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG Subscribe to The Drive: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts Overcast: http://bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast Spotify: http://bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify Google Play: http://bit.ly/TheDriveGooglePlay