Abstract
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Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine if small increases to step frequency associated
with minimal footwear can influence Running Economy (RE). Twelve club-level runners
with eight weeks of minimal footwear experience were recruited (age, 41±9 years; stature,
177.2±10.4 cm; body mass, 72.6±10.2 kg; V˙O2max, 52.1±7.5 mL·min−1·kg−1). Two 6-min RE tests, one in minimal footwear and one in conventional running shoes
were performed at 11 km·h−1. Two more 6-min tests were completed during which step frequency was controlled using
a metronome at the cadence of the opposite footwear condition (RErevSF). Comparisons were completed between the same footwear using repeated measures ANCOVA.
The increase in step frequency for minimal footwear vs. conventional running shoes
was 7.3±2.3 steps per minute (3.9% difference; 95% CI of difference [5.87 to 8.80
steps/min]; p≤0.001; Cohen’s d=0.70). No significant differences were identified between
RE and RErevSF for minimal footwear (40.72±4.08 vs. 41.09±4.19 mL·min−1·kg−1; 95% CI of difference [–1.71 to 0.97]; p=0.55; Cohen’s d=0.09), or conventional running
shoes (42.04±4.68 vs. 41.74±5.09 mL·min−1·kg−1; 95% CI of difference [–0.78 to 1.37]; p=0.55; Cohen’s d=0.06). Small changes in
step frequency (~4%) did not have any significant impact on RE.
Key words
performance -
footwear -
running technique -
cadence
Description
This study investigates the impact of footwear on running economy.