Softer and more resilient running shoe cushioning properties enhance running economy

Worobets, Jay T.; Wannop, John W.; Tomaras, Elias K.; Stefanyshyn, Darren J.

doi:10.1080/19424280.2014.918184

Cited by 99 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…First, as all testing was conducted during a single session, it was not possible to verify the repeatability of the running economy measures. However, the repeatability of the Cosmed unit has been demonstrated (Duffield, Dawson, Pinnington, & Wong, 2004) and previous research using a similar test protocol found no differences in running economy between test days (Worobets et al, 2014). Because data collection was undertaken on an indoor running track, the use of a force platform to collect kinetic data was not possible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Previous research has shown that altering footwear properties such as mass (Franz, Wierzbinski, & Kram, 2012;Frederick, 1984), cushioning (Frederick, Clarke, Larsen, & Cooper, 1983;Luo, Stergiou, Worobets, Nigg, & Stefanyshyn, 2009;Worobets, Wannop, Tomaras, & Stefanyshyn, 2014), and forefoot (FF) bending stiffness (Roy & Stefanyshyn, 2006) can significantly enhance the running economy of an athlete. When isolating FF bending stiffness, the study of Roy and Stefanyshyn (2006) showed that with an increased FF bending stiffness, average improvements of »1% in running economy resulted compared to the flexible control shoe.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forefoot bending stiffness, running economy and kinematics during overground running

et al. 2016

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Previous research has shown that altering forefoot (FF) bending stiffness can enhance running economy; however, the mechanism behind the changes in running economy remains unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between forefoot bending stiffness, running economy, and lower limb kinematics during overground running. Eighteen aerobically fit recreational male athletes performed overground running using a portable metabolic analysis system to measure oxygen consumption in two footwear conditions with different forefoot bending stiffness. Sagittal plane kinematic data of the metatarsophalangeal, ankle, and knee joints were recorded using a high-speed camera. On average, there was no difference in running economy when running in the Stiff shoe ( _ VO 2 D 38.1 § 5.4 mL/kg/min) compared to the Control shoe ( _ VO 2 D 37.7 § 5.8 mL/kg/min, p D 0.11). On an individual basis, 10 athletes (Responders) improved their running economy with increased FF bending stiffness (Δ _ VO 2 D ¡2.9%), while eight athletes (Non-Responders) worsened or did not improve their running economy in a stiff shoe (Δ _ VO 2 D C1.0%). In stiff footwear, Responders experienced kinematic changes at the ankle joint (decreased angular velocity) that likely resulted in decreased energy requirement for muscular contractions due to a presumed shift on their individual forceÀvelocity relationship. The lack of improvement in running economy by the Non-Responders may be attributed to a presumed lack of a shift in the forceÀvelocity relationship of the calf musculature. Instead, Non-Responders experienced kinematic changes (increased ankle plantarflexion during push phase with stiff footwear) that likely hindered their moment-generating capability potentially due to a shift on their individual forceÀlength relationship. These findings represent important progress towards explaining inter-individual changes in running economy with different footwear bending stiffness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forefoot bending stiffness, running economy and kinematics during overground running

et al. 2016

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“…The findings of Worobets et al (2014) showed that a soft shoe improved running economy in relation to a control shoe during overground and treadmill running. Sinclair et al (in press) demonstrated that new energy return footwear with a polyurethane midsole improved running economy and reduced runners reliance on carbohydrate as an energy source in comparison to a conventional running shoe.…”

Section: Demonstrated That Runningmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of minimalist, maximalist and energy return footwear of equal mass on running economy and substrate utilisation

Sinclair

Shore

Dillon

2016

CEP

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“…A recent study by Worobets et al [5] took special care to perform mechanical testing of the cushioning material used in the experimental footwear. From this study, it was determined that footwear with a lower stiffness (129.7 N/mm compared to 186.1 N/mm) and a lower energy loss during mechanical testing (22.3 % compared to 32.3 %) improved running economy during over ground running, with similar results occurring during treadmill running.…”

Section: Footwear Cushioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Engineers have developed footwear that incorporates material that offers greater energy return during running [5], used mathematical models to determine the ideal golf club head [1] and driver length [6], in addition to utilizing various golfing robots to replicate the human golf swing to research optimum golf club properties [7,8]. The realworld implications of sports equipment have unfortunately not been as positive-while some athletes may benefit from the new, ideal equipment, some athletes do not perform better and some even perform worse [9][10][11][12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomechanics research and sport equipment development

Stefanyshyn

Wannop

2015

Sports Eng

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Advances in sport equipment have revolutionized athletic competition with engineers developing equipment that can enhance performance. However, not all athletes are able to benefit from the new, ideal equipment, with some athletes performing worse. Although the engineering may be sound, the interaction between the piece of equipment, the athlete, and the action is missing. The purely mechanical system of the piece of equipment becomes a biomechanical system once it is interacting with the athlete. Research into the underlying mechanisms of performance in sport has relied heavily on biomechanical studies. The review of these studies has identified important performance and injury variables that can be influenced by sport equipment. This baseline information helps provide a fundamental understanding of human performance that guide equipment designers and developers. A flawlessly engineered mechanical piece of sport equipment can still fail if the athlete-equipment interaction is not properly addressed in the design process. How an athlete uses a piece of equipment and furthermore how an athlete may change or adapt to changes in properties of a piece of equipment must be taken into consideration. Using properties of footwear as an example, research has provided understanding of the biomechanical limiting factors regarding the influence of footwear traction on athletic performance. Data on other footwear properties such as cushioning and forefoot bending stiffness are limited. Intrinsic musculoskeletal properties, such as the forcelength and force-velocity relationships of skeletal muscle, can be exploited through equipment design, as has been shown during cycling. Modifications to equipment parameters can shift the operating range of an athlete within these relationships to maximize force or power output, which was shown during the development of the clap skate. Additionally, these properties vary slightly from athlete to athlete and minor adjustments to a piece of sporting equipment can help optimize individual athletes according to their specific biomechanical characteristics.

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Softer and more resilient running shoe cushioning properties enhance running economy

Cited by 99 publications

References 25 publications

Forefoot bending stiffness, running economy and kinematics during overground running

Forefoot bending stiffness, running economy and kinematics during overground running

The effect of minimalist, maximalist and energy return footwear of equal mass on running economy and substrate utilisation

Biomechanics research and sport equipment development

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