Why are Kenyans Fast?

These are a couple of the reasons that I believe make kenyans amazing runners.

• Food. Growing up, Americans eat tons and tons of manufacture foods, such as ice cream, popsicles, and pretty much every popular food out there. All the preservatives can alter the chemical balances in the liver, ultimately hurting athletic performance. But Kenyans grow up eating wholesome foods like rice and they drink lots of water instead of all the sugary crap americans drink. They also eat a whole lot less than American’s do which gives them the rail thin body necessary to run well.
• Miles. Although most Kenyans don’t actually run to school, they run a whole lot more than Americans do at a young age. This allows them to develop their aerobic capacities to great extremes early in their lives. If you walk through a Kenyan village on a nice day you’ll most likely see Kenyan kids playing soccer or running around. Walk through an American town on a nice day and chances are you wont see many kids outside exercising. The idea that a lot of exercise makes Kenyans great runners also applies to them when they begin the sport of running. You will hardly ever see a Kenyan runner training with a low mileage training plan. Many successful Kenyan runners run upwards of 150+ miles per week, with many of them at a fast pace.
• Barefoot. Growing up, most Kenyans can’t afford modern shoes, so they walk around barefoot. Americans would think this would lead to many problems. But it is actually the opposite. When someone wears shoes, the tiny muscles in their feet and ankles get very weak because they can’t work how they were supposed to. Now that they can’t handle the stress the bones in the foot and ankle and the rest of the leg have to carry the extra stress. This will ultimately result in injury. When someone walks around or runs barefoot, the muscles in the feet and ankles become strong and can work the way they are supposed to. Barefoot running can also stop back pain and shin splints.