Sports Performance Research Group (GIRD), University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain.
Integrative Locomotion Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024 Jun;34(6):e14687. doi: 10.1111/sms.14687.
INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Shoe longitudinal bending stiffness (LBS) is often considered to influence running economy (RE) and thus, running performance. However, previous results are mixed and LBS levels have not been studied in advanced footwear technology (AFT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of increased LBS from curved carbon fiber plates embedded within an AFT midsole compared to a traditional running shoe on RE and spatiotemporal parameters.
Twenty-one male trained runners completed three times 4 min at 13 km/h with two experimental shoe models with a curved carbon fiber plate embedded in an AFT midsole with different LBS values (Stiff: 35.5 N/mm and Stiffest: 43.1 N/mm), and a Control condition (no carbon fiber plate: 20.1 N/mm). We measured energy cost of running (W/kg) and spatiotemporal parameters in one visit.
RE improved for the Stiff shoe condition (15.71 ± 0.95 W/kg; p < 0.001; n = 0.374) compared to the Control condition (16.13 ± 1.08 W/kg; 2.56%) and Stiffest condition (16.03 ± 1.19 W/kg; 1.98%). However, we found no significant differences between the Stiffest and Control conditions. Moreover, there were no spatiotemporal differences between shoe conditions.
Changes in LBS in AFT influences RE suggesting that moderately stiff shoes have the most effective LBS to improve RE in AFT compared to very stiff shoes and traditional, flexible shoe conditions while running at 13 km/h.
简介/目的：鞋纵向弯曲刚度（LBS）通常被认为会影响跑步经济性（RE），从而影响跑步表现。然而，之前的研究结果并不一致，并且在先进的鞋类技术（AFT）中尚未研究 LBS 水平。本研究的目的是评估与传统跑鞋相比，在 AFT 中嵌入弯曲碳纤维板以增加 LBS 对 RE 和时空参数的影响。
21 名男性训练有素的跑步者在 13km/h 的速度下进行了三次 4 分钟的测试，分别穿着两种实验鞋模型，一种是在 AFT 中底嵌入了弯曲碳纤维板的 AFT 鞋，其 LBS 值分别为 35.5N/mm（硬）和 43.1N/mm（最硬），另一种是控制条件（无碳纤维板：20.1N/mm）。我们在一次访问中测量了跑步的能量成本（W/kg）和时空参数。
与控制条件（16.13±1.08W/kg；2.56%）相比，硬鞋条件下的 RE 得到了改善（15.71±0.95W/kg；p<0.001；n=0.374），与最硬鞋条件（16.03±1.19W/kg；1.98%）相比也有改善。然而，我们发现最硬鞋条件和控制条件之间没有显著差异。此外，不同鞋类条件之间没有时空差异。
AFT 中 LBS 的变化会影响 RE，这表明在 13km/h 的速度下，与非常硬的鞋子和传统的、灵活的鞋子相比，中硬的鞋子具有最有效的 LBS，可以提高 AFT 中的 RE。
