Tendon and muscle fascicle length changes during running with compliant and stiff footwear cushioning

摘要

Footwear cushioning can have a direct influence on the rate of oxygen consumption (Worobets, Wannop, Tomaras, & Stefanyshyn, 2014), which is an accepted measure of athletic performance (Cavanagh & Kram, 1985). This influence of cushioning on improved performance has been shown to be athlete specific (Nigg, Stefanyshyn, Cole, Stergiou, & Miller, 2003), with some participants performing better with compliant cushioning (Worobets et al., 2014) while some participants performing better with stiffer cushioning (Bosco & Rusko, 1983). However, the exact mechanism of this improved performance is unknown. During running, the Achilles tendon is a large contributor of mechanical work (Stefanyshyn & Nigg, 1997), therefore, different footwear cushioning may result in a greater extension of the Achilles tendon for different individuals, which could reduce the metabolic cost of running.