Abstract
BackgroundTo improve propulsion during running, athletes often wear spike shoes designed for training and/or competition. Running with spike shoes may cause pain and/or injuries. To address this problem, a modified spike shoe was tested. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of running with dual-versus single-stiffness spike running shoes on running mechanics in long-distance runners with pronated feet.MethodsSixteen male elite (national competitive level) runners (5000 or 10,000 m) aged 28.2 ± 2.5 years with pronated feet volunteered to participate in this study. To be included, participants had to have achieved personal best race times over 5- and/or 10-km races under 17 or 34 min during official running competitions. All participants were heel strikers and had a history of 11.2 ± 4.2 years of training. For the assessment of running kinetics, a force plate was imbedded into a walkway. Running kinematics were recorded using a Vicon-motion-capture system. Nike Zoom Rival shoes (Nike, Nike Zoom Rival, USA) were selected and adapted according to spike softness and stiffness. Participants ran at a constant speed of ~4.0 m/s across the walkway with both shoe conditions in randomized order. Six trials were recorded per condition. The main outcomes included peak ground reaction forces and their time-to-peak, average and instantaneous vertical loading rates, free moments, and peak ankle eversion angles.ResultsPaired t-tests revealed significantly lower lateral (p = 0.021, d = 0.95) and vertical (p = 0.010, d = 1.40) forces at heel contact during running with dual-stiffness spike shoes. Running with dual-stiffness spike shoes resulted in a significantly longer time-to-peak vertical (p = 0.004, d = 1.40) force at heel contact. The analysis revealed significantly lower average (p = 0.005, d = 0.46) and instantaneous (p = 0.021, d = 0.49) loading rates and peak negative free moment amplitudes (p = 0.016, d = 0.81) when running with dual-stiffness spike shoes. Finally, significantly lower peak ankle eversion angles were observed with dual-stiffness spike shoes (p < 0.001, d = 1.29).ConclusionsRunning in dual- compared with single-stiffness spike distance running shoes resulted in lower loading rates, free moment amplitudes, and peak ankle eversion angles of long-distance runners with pronated feet.
Highlights
To improve propulsion during running, athletes often wear spike shoes designed for training and/or competition
Ground reaction forces Paired t-tests revealed significantly lower Peak lateral ground reaction force (FxHC) (p = 0.021, d = 0.95) and First peak during heel contact (FzHC) (p = 0.010, d = 1.40) during running with dual- compared with single-stiffness spike running shoes (Table 2)
Loading rates and free moment amplitudes The analysis revealed significantly lower average loading rates (p = 0.005, d = 0.46) and peak negative free moment amplitudes (p = 0.016, d = 0.81) when running with dual- compared with single-stiffness spike shoes (Fig. 2)
Summary
To improve propulsion during running, athletes often wear spike shoes designed for training and/or competition. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of running with dual-versus single-stiffness spike running shoes on running mechanics in long-distance runners with pronated feet. The main function of spiked shoes is to increase friction force between the shoe and the track, to improve propulsion during running [6]. There is information in the literature [7] that competitive long-distance runners (5000 or 10,000 m) wear spike running shoes approximately three hours during daily training and four days a week [7]. Singlestiffness spike shoes appear not to be well-suited for runners with pronated feet because they cannot counteract the mechanical malalignment caused by foot excessive pronation during running. There is evidence that foot pronation (i.e., severe ankle eversion) is a risk factor for running-related injuries [10], especially when using neutral footwear [11]
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