They play a very important role: why humans really need pinky fingers

We usually remember our little fingers when we accidentally hit them against something. However, scientists mention them much more often, and they recently conducted an interesting study.

In one of the experiments, scientists tested the relationship between finger length and running speed. The Ifl Science publication provided more details about it.

The results of the study showed that people with longer fingers spend more energy when running. However, there was a discrepancy: it turned out that sprinters, track and field athletes, and marathon runners usually have longer toes, gaining a short burst of speed advantage in exchange for more energy expenditure.

All the toes are used to maintain balance and move forward, and the little toe is not a useless appendage.

Podiatrist Bruce Pinker of Progressive Foot Care How Stuff Works emphasized that without the little toe, normal foot biomechanics would be impossible.

"The purpose of the little toe is to provide balance. When a person takes a step, the foot rolls from the lateral side to the medial side in normal foot biomechanics," Pinker explained.

In this case, the primary role is played by the little finger joint.

"It's the big toe joint, the little toe joint, and the heel that determine our ability to walk steadily. It acts like a tripod. If you remove one part of the tripod, you will lose your balance," emphasized specialist Venjay Sung, a doctor at White Memorial Medical Group.

If people lose their little fingers, over time, they will adapt to walking without them, according to doctors. However, this will lead to a change in gait and more frequent falls due to imbalance.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL talked about ways to wear a new pair of shoes that will help increase their size.

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