The Impact of Grounding in Running Shoes on Indices of Performance in Elite Competitive Athletes.

Borja Muniz-Pardos,Jose A Casajus,Yannis P Pitsiladis,Daniel Ruiz,Irina Zelenkova,Toni Boitz,Melanie Knopp,Alex Gonzalez-Aguero,Martin Graham

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031317

Abstract

The introduction of carbon fiber plate shoes has triggered a plethora of world records in running, which has encouraged shoe industries to produce novel shoe designs to enhance running performance, including shoes containing conductor elements or “grounding shoes” (GS), which could potentially reduce the energy cost of running. The aim of this study was to examine the physiological and perceptual responses of athletes subjected to grounding shoes during running. Ten elite runners were recruited. Firstly, the athletes performed an incremental running test for VO2max and anaerobic threshold (AT) determination, and were familiarized with the two shoe conditions (traditional training shoe (TTS) and GS, the latter containing a conductor element under the insole). One week apart, athletes performed running economy tests (20 min run at 80% of the AT) on a 400 m dirt track, with shoe conditions randomized. VO2, heart rate, lactate, and perceived fatigue were registered throughout the experiment. No differences in any of the physiological or perceptual variables were identified between shoe conditions, with an equal running economy in both TTS and GS (51.1 ± 4.2 vs. 50.9 ± 5.1 mL kg−1 min−1, respectively). Our results suggest that a grounding stimulus does not improve the energy cost of running, or the physiological/perceptual responses of elite athletes.

Highlights

During the past five years, shoe designs have experienced a great technological revolution, which has been accompanied by a plethora of world records in all longdistance running events.Joyner et al, recently suggested that the factors potentially explaining the recent records in long-distance running are the physiological and training factors, in addition to shoe technology and drafting [1]
A final sample of 10 athletes completed the present study, with no drop-outs. These athletes were national to international level runners/triathletes, with two of them having participated in major sporting events (Olympic Games and World Championships)
The main findings of the present study show that grounding technology applied to shoe designs does not provide a physiological/perceptual response over traditional training shoes in well-trained athletes

Summary

Introduction

During the past five years, shoe designs have experienced a great technological revolution, which has been accompanied by a plethora of world records in all longdistance running events (i.e., from 5000 m to marathons, in both male and female athletes). Recently suggested that the factors potentially explaining the recent records in long-distance running are the physiological and training factors, in addition to shoe technology and drafting [1]. The abrupt drop in world records across all distances since 2017 suggests that shoe technology has a major contribution when compared to the other factors (i.e., training methods, the physiology of athletes, and drafting are factors that have not substantially changed in the last 5 years) [2].

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Conclusion