Patrick,
Heel strike running does put lots of stress on the calves [EDIT - I meant lower leg]--the anterior tibialis decelerating the "foot slap"--that's what leads to shin splints in those runners so often.
I also think that measuring oxygen consumption was a relatively poor way of measuring running economy (efficiency). The best distance runners (or endurance anything athletes) don't necessarily have the highest VO2max, and I'm not sure that oxygen consumption necessarily gives a good impression of perceived exertion or actual work output (it would seem to be quite an assumption).
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