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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
The Effects of a Carbon Fiber Shoe Insole on Athletic Performance in Collegiate Athletes
Author(s)
Robert W. Gregory, Robert S. Axtell, Marc I. Robertson and William R. Lunn
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DOI:10.17265/2332-7839/2018.04.001
Affiliation(s)
Human Performance Laboratory, Exercise Science Department, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT 06037, USA
ABSTRACT
Sports equipment such as athletic footwear is designed
to prevent injury and/or improve performance. There is limited research about the effects of
foot orthoses or shoe insoles on performance improvement via enhanced
energetics. One possible solution to improve the energy storage and return of
athletic footwear is to utilize a carbon fiber shoe insole (CFI) optimally
tuned for the human body-footwear system. The purpose of this study was to
examine the effects of a CFI on athletic
performance. Thirty-four (15 males, 19 females) collegiate athletes performed a
vertical jump, a pro agility test, and a
10-yard sprint while wearing normal athletic footwear and footwear
incorporating a CFI. Vertical jump height was measured using a commercial
Vertec device; pro agility test and 10-yard sprint times were measured using a
laser timing system. The use of a CFI resulted in significant improvements in
the vertical jump (+2.5%, p = 0.012)
and the 10-yard sprint (+1.5%, p =
0.020), but not in the pro agility test. These results demonstrated a CFI can
enhance speed/acceleration and power in collegiate athletes. Individual
anatomical and biomechanical differences may influence the appropriate CFI
stiffness required for each athlete to achieve maximal performance in sports
involving running, jumping, and change-of-direction.
KEYWORDS
Footwear bending stiffness, 10-yard sprint, pro agility test, vertical jump.
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