Carbon fibre plated running shoes.
Now, up until a few years ago, sports science had us believe that the flatter and lighter our shoes were, the faster they would be. Fast forward until now, and you’ll see running shoes with more height than some high heels and a carbon plate hidden in there too. But why?
More foam seems obvious as it absorbs the shock and impact every time you hit the tarmac, thereby improving comfort, and keeping your legs fresher for longer. The long-term implications could also mean a reduced risk of injury, but that’s not for us to say.
Now the carbon fibre plate is an interesting one. These are sandwiched between the layers of foam, and every brand will shape and place theirs differently, for varying levels of performance.
The theory behind carbon fibre in your shoes is that the stiff carbon fibre plates reduce flexion in the foot and ankle, saving kinetic energy from being lost as your foot compresses the foam in your shoe on impact. The carbon plate can also act as a sort of spring as you reach the ‘toe off’ phase of your running stride, contributing to longer, faster, and more efficient strides at the same or less effort than when wearing shoes without a carbon plate.
This technology has been around for 2 decades but only really hit the mainstream in the last decade due to enhancements in the foam technology used in running shoes. The carbon plate needs room and time to be compressed in the shoe for maximum benefit, and in traditional flat shoes, this wasn’t possible. Now that foam is considerably lighter and more responsive, shoes can now use more foam without adding unnecessary weight.
As for performance gains? Some studies suggest 4% energy savings/performance improvement which may not sound like a lot, but when you add this up over minutes and hours, this can be a significant advantage for runners of all abilities.
Artificial Intelligence
This probably comes as a bit of an unexpected curveball for you but stick with me. Artificial Intelligence is fast becoming more and more integrated into our daily lives as well as in large industries, including in sports coaching and performance analysis.
And no, AI isn’t here to replace a coach. Instead, sport specific AI tools and platforms are here to enhance the work of coaches and sports professionals alike. Speeding up data collection, analysis, and even making performance predictions, more competently than any human could do.
This technology isn’t new and it is constantly changing but early adopters are being rewarded for stepping ahead of the curve, especially in multisport where generic training programs and low price point 1:1 coaches are being fast replaced by direct-to-athlete AI services and those coaches who are now leveraging AI tools as part of their coaching workflow to create more sustainable businesses and improve the athlete experience at the same time.
We’ve written an entire article about Artificial Intelligence in sports performance and coaching, so if this is a topic that interests you, do check it out by clicking here.
Aerodynamics
This is for all you speed demons out there. Whether it’s with 2 or 4 wheels, aerodynamics plays a crucial role in performance. And whether you realise it or not, we’ve all been on the wrong end of aerodynamics. Ever ridden a bicycle into a headwind whilst wearing a big flappy rain jacket? That’s how not to optimise your aerodynamics for maximum output, in this case, speed.
Most people jump to optimising the vehicle for aerodynamics, weight etc. when in fact you would better served optimising A. your own power output and B. your own aerodynamics. Aerodynamics is even considered in sports such as golf. That’s why your golf balls have that odd hexagonal/ridged design.
Altering the texture and edges to reduce the impact of air resistance (drag) is the golden ticket here. But it’s not as simple as it sounds.
Let’s use cycling as an example. Upwards of 70% of aerodynamic drag when cycling is created by you as the person and not the bike. But it turns out that skin isn’t the most aerodynamic surface. Whilst there are bumps and ridges in our skin, they are not necessarily coherent or optimally placed for aerodynamic benefit causing turbulences on the skin surface which will slow you down.
What you want to do is ‘trip’ the air so that turbulence is created after the air has passed the body. Turbulence behind the body ‘speeds you up’ by reducing the resistance experienced by your body as you cycle forward.
Technology has advanced so far now that new fabrics are being created that ‘trip’ the air and can be targeted at different regions and in different ways for optimal aerodynamic efficiency.
Optimising your clothing choice can be one the quickest and easiest ways to grab those ‘free speed’ and ‘marginal’ gains that you are looking for.
But is it cheating?
Technically, no, it’s not. Sport governing bodies have individual rules that govern technology and equipment to level the playing field a little whilst considering safety and cost concerns too. Whilst this has sometimes been criticised for stifling innovation but has continued to flourish, nonetheless. But on the odd occasion, some innovations have been heavily curtailed or banned outright.
So again, technically, no it is not cheating – theoretically there is equal opportunity for everyone to access the very best that kit available on the market. But is it ethically fair? For example, technology and equipment is out there available to all, but if you can’t afford it or don’t have access to it for any other reason, are you then being cheated out of a chance to compete on a level playing field with your fellow competitors? Isn’t the spirit of competition about the feats of human endurance, strength, and speed, and not whose bit of kit performs the best?
This is where it becomes a slightly more complicated and philosophical discussion which we will leave for the time being. But in the meantime, if you are looking for ways to improve your running, cycling, or multisport performance, then hopefully our guide to the sports kit that will make you faster has proven useful!
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