The Impact of Grounding in Running Shoes on Indices of Performance in Elite Competitive Athletes

Borja Muniz-Pardos, Irina Zelenkova, Alex Gonzalez-Aguero, Melanie Knopp, Toni Boitz, Martin Graham, Daniel Ruiz, Jose A. Casajus and Yannis P. Pitsiladis
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Borja Muniz-Pardos: Faculty of Health and Sports Science (FCSD), Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Irina Zelenkova: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Alex Gonzalez-Aguero: Faculty of Health and Sports Science (FCSD), Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Melanie Knopp: adidas Innovation, adidas AG, 91074 Herzogenaurach, Germany
Toni Boitz: adidas Innovation, adidas AG, 91074 Herzogenaurach, Germany
Martin Graham: adidas Innovation, adidas AG, 91074 Herzogenaurach, Germany
Daniel Ruiz: adidas Innovation, adidas AG, 91074 Herzogenaurach, Germany
Jose A. Casajus: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Yannis P. Pitsiladis: International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: The introduction of carbon fiber plate shoes has triggered a plethora of world records in running, which has encouraged shoe industries to produce novel shoe designs to enhance running performance, including shoes containing conductor elements or “grounding shoes” (GS), which could potentially reduce the energy cost of running. The aim of this study was to examine the physiological and perceptual responses of athletes subjected to grounding shoes during running. Ten elite runners were recruited. Firstly, the athletes performed an incremental running test for VO 2 max and anaerobic threshold (AT) determination, and were familiarized with the two shoe conditions (traditional training shoe (TTS) and GS, the latter containing a conductor element under the insole). One week apart, athletes performed running economy tests (20 min run at 80% of the AT) on a 400 m dirt track, with shoe conditions randomized. VO 2 , heart rate, lactate, and perceived fatigue were registered throughout the experiment. No differences in any of the physiological or perceptual variables were identified between shoe conditions, with an equal running economy in both TTS and GS (51.1 ± 4.2 vs. 50.9 ± 5.1 mL kg −1 min −1 , respectively). Our results suggest that a grounding stimulus does not improve the energy cost of running, or the physiological/perceptual responses of elite athletes.

Keywords: earthing; environmental physiology; running performance; running economy; shoe technology; grounding (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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