Locomotion Lab, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 Aug;44(8):1519-25. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182514a88.
Based on mass alone, one might intuit that running barefoot would exact a lower metabolic cost than running in shoes. Numerous studies have shown that adding mass to shoes increases submaximal oxygen uptake (V˙O(2)) by approximately 1% per 100 g per shoe. However, only two of the seven studies on the topic have found a statistically significant difference in V˙O(2) between barefoot and shod running. The lack of difference found in these studies suggests that factors other than shoe mass (e.g., barefoot running experience, foot strike pattern, shoe construction) may play important roles in determining the metabolic cost of barefoot versus shod running. Our goal was to quantify the metabolic effects of adding mass to the feet and compare oxygen uptake and metabolic power during barefoot versus shod running while controlling for barefoot running experience, foot strike pattern, and footwear.
Twelve males with substantial barefoot running experience ran at 3.35 m·s with a midfoot strike pattern on a motorized treadmill, both barefoot and in lightweight cushioned shoes (∼150 g per shoe). In additional trials, we attached small lead strips to each foot/shoe (∼150, ∼300, and ∼450 g). For each condition, we measured the subjects' rates of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production and calculated metabolic power.
V˙O(2) increased by approximately 1% for each 100 g added per foot, whether barefoot or shod (P < 0.001). However, barefoot and shod running did not significantly differ in V˙O(2) or metabolic power. A consequence of these two findings was that for footwear conditions of equal mass, shod running had ∼3%-4% lower V˙O(2) and metabolic power demand than barefoot running (P < 0.05).
Running barefoot offers no metabolic advantage over running in lightweight, cushioned shoes.
仅从质量方面考虑，人们可能会直观地认为赤脚跑步比穿鞋跑步的代谢成本更低。许多研究表明，每只鞋增加 100 克质量会使亚最大摄氧量（V˙O(2)）增加约 1%。然而，在该主题的七项研究中，只有两项研究发现赤脚和穿鞋跑步之间的 V˙O(2)存在统计学上的显著差异。这些研究中没有发现差异表明，除了鞋的质量（例如赤脚跑步经验、脚着地方式、鞋的结构）以外，其他因素可能在确定赤脚与穿鞋跑步的代谢成本方面发挥重要作用。我们的目标是量化在脚上增加质量的代谢影响，并在控制赤脚跑步经验、脚着地方式和鞋类的情况下，比较赤脚与穿鞋跑步时的氧气摄取和代谢功率。
12 名具有大量赤脚跑步经验的男性以 3.35 m·s 的速度在电动跑步机上用中足着地方式跑步，既赤脚又穿轻便缓冲鞋（每只鞋约 150 克）。在其他试验中，我们在每只脚/鞋上附加小的铅条（每只约 150 克、300 克和 450 克）。对于每种情况，我们测量了受试者的耗氧量和二氧化碳产生量，并计算了代谢功率。
无论赤脚还是穿鞋，每只脚增加 100 克，V˙O(2)都会增加约 1%（P < 0.001）。然而，赤脚和穿鞋跑步在 V˙O(2)或代谢功率方面没有显著差异。这两个发现的结果是，对于相同质量的鞋类条件，穿鞋跑步的 V˙O(2)和代谢功率需求比赤脚跑步低约 3%-4%（P < 0.05）。
赤脚跑步与穿轻便缓冲鞋跑步相比没有代谢优势。
