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WOULD-BE competitive distance runners might consider measuring their heel. The shorter it is, the more successful they are likely to be.

So say of the Free University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and colleagues. They used a mathematical model of the leg to study the effects of heel length on prowess at long-distance running.

A lower rate of energy consumption at a given speed normally means someone can run farther. Scholz’s team wondered if this efficiency was related to the amount of elastic energy that gets stored in the Achilles tendon. When a runner’s foot lands, the tendon becomes compressed, storing energy that is released as the runner lifts their foot, helping to help power the next stride.

The team assessed heel length by measuring the average of the distance between the Achilles tendon and the inside and outside ends of the ankle bone. Scholz’s model showed that the shorter this is, more energy gets stored in the tendon (The Journal of Experimental Biology, ). Her team also monitored 15 professional runners as they ran on a treadmill. Those with shorter heels consumed less oxygen, indicating that they ran more efficiently. “If I were to bet my money on any athlete, I’d have a look at their feet first,” says Scholz.