Running fast is the leading cause of shin splints, research finds trends now
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It's long been thought that walking and running up a hill is the leading cause of the common injury shin splints.
The problem causes sudden, intense pain along the shin – the front of the part of the leg between the knee and foot.
Walking at an incline is thought to put excess pressure on the anterior tibialis muscle at the front of the leg, causing the uncomfortable sensation.
But new research suggests this is not the case, and instead it is the speed you're running at that is to blame.
Scientists at the University of Calgary in Canada recruited 17 volunteers and put motion sensor trackers on different parts of their legs while running.
New research suggests the speed you're running at that is to blame for shin splints (file photo)
Each volunteer completed a number of runs – which included three