Over the years, sports researchers have looked to new materials to help optimise athletic performance. Several modern-age advances in sportswear have become so effective that using them at competitions is labelled as technological doping. Among the equipment banned because of their competitive advantages include Speedo's LZR Racer swimsuit and Nike's Vaporfly shoes, which have been shown to boost running economy by 4 per cent. The technology provides runners with such a significant edge, and it's banned from competition.
Poor footwear and abnormal biomechanics will cause running injuries such as tibial stress syndrome, posterior tibialis tendinitis, and stress fractures. Myriad factors contribute to injuries, and research dating back to the 1950s has identified footwear as one of them. Energy-absorbing materials such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) have become key to a pair of well-designed shoes.
Taking the advantages to the next level are Nike's Vaporfly shoes fitted with carbon fibre plates (CFP). According to a study published by Sports Medicine, these plates store and compress mechanical energy in the midsole foam. When inserted into the midsoles and insoles, CFP gives more bending stiffness and lead to higher vertical jumps when engaging in speed and power-centric sports such as jumping and sprints.
Carbon-fibre plate gives leverage to the ankle joint but limits ankle extensor movement, making them less comfortable than softer shoes. CFP limits the range of motion of the metatarsophalangeal joint because energy is lost when shoes are fitted with CFP. This stiffening effect improves the jump but does not increase the energy stored in the hips, knees, ankles, and metatarsophalangeal joints (MTP).
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