Metabolic and performance responses of male runners wearing 3 types of footwear: Nike Vaporfly 4%, Saucony Endorphin racing flats, and their own shoes

Journal of Sport and Health ScienceVolume 11, Issue 3, May 2022, Pages 275-284Journal of Sport and Health ScienceHighlights•

Nike Vaporfly 4% (VP4) and Saucony Endorphin lightweight racing flats improved running economy in male recreational runners vs. their habitual running footwear.

The 3-km time-trial times were faster in VP4 than Saucony Endorphin lightweight racing flats and habitual running footwear.

The VP4 meaningfully improved economy and time-trial times in recreational runners.

However, individual responses were evident and did not appear driven by perceptions.

This study adds to VP4 research, which had involved high-caliber runners only to date.

AbstractPurpose

We compared running economy (RE) and 3-km time-trial (TT) variables of runners wearing Nike Vaporfly 4% (VP4), Saucony Endorphin lightweight racing flats (FLAT), and their habitual running (OWN) footwear.

Methods

Eighteen male recreational runners (age = 33.5 ± 11.9 year (mean ± SD), peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) = 55.8 ± 4.4 mL/kg·min) attended 4 sessions approximately 7 days apart. The first session consisted of a VO2peak test to inform subsequent RE speeds set at 60%, 70%, and 80% of the speed eliciting VO2peak. In subsequent sessions, treadmill RE and 3-km TTs were assessed in the 3 footwear conditions in a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design.

Results

Oxygen consumption (mL/kg·min) was less in VP4 (from 4.3% to 4.4%, p ≤ 0.002) and FLAT (from 2.7% to 3.4%, p ≤ 0.092) vs. OWN across intensities, with a non-significant difference between VP4 and FLAT (1.0%–1.7%, p ≥ 0.292). Findings related to energy cost (W/kg) and energetics cost of transport (J/kg·m) were comparable. VP4 3-km TT performance (11:07.6 ± 0:56.6 mm:ss) was enhanced vs. OWN by 16.6 s (2.4%, p = 0.005) and vs. FLAT by 13.0 s (1.8%, p = 0.032). The 3-km times between OWN and FLAT (0.5%, p = 0.747) were similar. Most runners (n = 11, 61%) ran their fastest TT in VP4.

Conclusion

Overall, VP4 improved laboratory-based RE measures in male recreational runners at relative speeds compared to OWN, but the RE improvements in VP4 were not significant vs. FLAT. More runners exhibited better treadmill TT performances in VP4 (61%) vs. FLAT (22%) and OWN (17%). The variability in RE (–10.3% to 13.3%) and TT (–4.7% to 9.3%) improvements suggests that responses to different types of shoes are individualized and warrant further investigation.

Keywords

Footwear

Individual responses

Minimalist

Physiology

Running

© 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Shanghai University of Sport.

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