Supershoes to Improve Running Performance: Is It Doping?

Obviously, in order to achieve some Olympic Games You must be one of the best athletes in the world. The physical capabilities of those who achieve this are more than demonstrated. However, they may need a little help from their dress. He has been seen in swimsuits, but also in running shoesboth marathon and Olympic.

In fact, what are known as super sneakers were on the verge of being banned in the United States. Olympic Games 2020. After much deliberation, World Athletics has decided to include some restrictionsbut not banning them completely. So how do these shoes help runners? Is the difference so obvious compared to regular ones?

Sports tech scientists agree that there may be some placebo effect in all this. A runner wearing the latest generation of shoes will feel more capable of improving their grades, so they may unknowingly improve their performance. But there’s a lot of science under those soles, too. Just look at athlete statistics to make sure that this science is very useful to them. Perhaps it is a combination of technology and physical abilities, where the latter is the main thing, and the former simplifies everything.

Recipe for making super sneakers

The first brand to start producing sneakers with improved performance was Nike. Model Vaporfly He became a favorite of the world’s best athletes and marathon runners, making it clear that he had something that made them feel like they were running better.

Over time, other brands such as Adidas and Saukonialso made their own super sneakers. There may be slight variations from one to another; but overall they all share a number of common features. conditions.

The main key is in its sole. They are usually made of polyamide block elastomer, a material also known as PebaxIn addition, they contain a plate inside. carbon fiber.

It is this plate that seems to provide runners with most of the shoe’s benefits. It was even thought to act as a spring it pushes them without much effort. Over time, it became clear that it was not something so radical, but physics really is on the athlete’s side.

Benefits of Running Shoes

There are several studies that analyze the role of carbon fiber plates under the soles of running shoes.

In many of them they have been shown to contribute to an increase in the so-called flexural rigidity. When it increases, the absorption of energy in metatarsophalangeal joint feet, which helps improve race performance.

There are also studies that decreased oxygen consumption runners, which ensures clear metabolic benefitsThere was even a reduction load on the shin. The problem is that the last two parameters were observed only in men and experienced runners. Nothing similar has been observed in women or amateur runners. The cause has not been found either. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that this is a coincidence.

Brands Say All About Running Shoes

The truth is that the benefits of these running shoes are noticeable for both men and women. In fact, as the article explains Talk Professor of Sports Technology at Bournemouth University. Bryce DyerV marathons held in the last 7-8 years Runners using these shoes were found to have scores that increased by 1.4-2.8% for men and 0.6-2.2% for women.

Is this technological doping at the Olympics?

Doping does not only refer to chemical substances that athletes may use. The term is also used to describe any gadget or a physical element that improve your productivity and leave in flaw to the other participants.

For this reason, athletes’ clothing is closely monitored at upcoming championships such as the Olympic Games. In the case of running shoes, there are two very important restrictions. First, should be accessible to everyone who wants to buy them. They could not have been made specifically for a runner. We can all buy these shoes, although if we are just fans, it is not very convenient for us, since their materials lose their effectiveness over time, so we will have to spend their high price again to buy others.

The second condition: the thickness of the sole and number of carbon fiber plates They should be limited. Since this element seems to provide the greatest benefit, it should not be used to the maximum.

It should be noted that it is likely that Usain Bolt Barefoot, he would have run more than any amateur in the best shoes on the market. There are some things that money can’t achieve, and that’s what makes only a few athletes the best in the world.