The use of poles in sports, to support propulsion, is an integral and inherent component of some sports disciplines such as skiing (cross-country and roller), Nordic walking, and trail running. The aim of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the-art of literature on multiple influencing factors of poles in terms of biomechanical and physiological effects. We evaluated publications in the subfields of biomechanics, physiology, coordination, and pole properties. Plantar pressure and ground reaction forces decreased with the use of poles in all included studies. The upper body and trunk muscles were more active. The lower body muscles were either less active or no different from walking without poles. The use of poles led to a higher oxygen consumption (VO2) without increasing the level of perceived exertion (RPE). Furthermore, the heart rate (HR) tended to be higher. Longer poles reduced the VO2 and provided a longer thrust phase and greater propulsive impulse. The mass of the poles showed no major influence on VO2, RPE, or HR. Solely the activity of the biceps brachii increased with the pole mass.

Previous studies on gender differences in running biomechanics have predominantly been limited to joint angles and have not investigated a potential influence of footwear condition. This study shall contribute to closing this gap. Lower body biomechanics of 37 recreational runners (19 f, 18 m) were analysed for eight footwear and two running speed conditions. Presenting the effect size Cliff’s Delta enabled the interpretation of gender differences across a variety of variables and conditions. Known gender differences such as a larger range of hip movement in female runners were confirmed. Further previously undiscovered gender differences in running biomechanics were identified. In women, the knee extensors are less involved in joint work. Instead, compared to men, the supinators contribute more to deceleration and the hip abductors to acceleration. In addition to differences in extent, women also show a temporal delay within certain variables. For the foot, ankle and shank, as well as for the distribution of joint work, gender differences were found to be dependent on footwear condition, while sagittal pelvis and non-sagittal hip and thigh kinematics are rather consistent. On average, smaller gender differences were found for an individual compared to a uniform running speed. Future studies on gender differences should consider the influence of footwear and running speed and should provide an accurate description of the footwear condition used. The findings of this study could be used for the development of gender-specific running shoes and sports and medical products and provide a foundation for the application of smart wearable devices in gender-specific training and rehabilitation.

Backpacks play a pivotal role in facilitating the transportation of essential items, particularly within the realm of physical activities. In demanding physical environments such as mountain sports, effective thermoregulation, pressure absorption, and distribution become paramount due to the repetitive interaction between the athlete’s back and the corresponding area of the backpack. Given that the backpack pads serve as a crucial component of this system, acting as the intermediary layer between the human body and the backpack itself, this study delves into the mechanical and thermoregulatory properties of these components. Specifically, it compares a commercially available pad configuration with five lattice structures manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques. These methods include Large-Volume Filament printing, Multi-Jet Fusion, High-Speed Laser Sintering, and Laser Sintering, with an additional post-processing step—smoothening—for the Multi-Jet Fusion pads. All pads are evaluated on both standardized test protocols regarding mechanics, surface roughness, and humidity as well as a biomechanical setup. For continuous measurement during biomechanical testing, a sensor system including pressure, humidity, and temperature sensors is developed. In addition, a thermal camera was used to measure surface temperature at the back. Throughout the biomechanical testing, 20 male athletes performed a 15 min treadmill walk at 5 km/h and an incline of 6° with all pad configurations, wearing a commercially available backpack with an additional 8 kg of mass. The results revealed significant preferences regarding temperature and humidity uptake, backed up by the standardized test procedures. Furthermore, investigations with the customized sensor system show the irrelevance of the damping-improved back plate design. Overall, additively manufactured backpack pads can play a pivotal role in the thermoregulation and personalized design of backpack configurations.