I recall doing it when younger and consciously monitoring my technique as best I could - but in those days, I used to err on the side of higher gears with a lower cadence than I do now. Nowadays, I can't really tell to what extent or whether I do it or not (I have made a half-hearted effort to try to observe it) but I feel that my pedal stroke with the lower gearing and higher cadence is more natural and requires less conscious application vis-a-vis pedal/ankle technique. I hope that makes sense.
EDIT: I think it worth mentioning that I don't push as hard nowadays as I used to and I would much rather drop a gear and speed to maintain a cadence with relatively little effort now whereas when I was younger, I would push harder to maintain my speed when the going got harder (and still not reach the cadences that I usually ride now).