Carbon plate running shoes (CPRSs) have gained widespread popularity among elite and amateur runners, representing one of the most substantial changes in running gear over the past decade. Compared to elite runners, however, amateurs run at lower speeds and show more diverse running styles. This is a meaningful difference as many previous studies on CPRSs focus either on highly trained male runners and higher speeds or only on a single CPRSs manufacturer. The present study aims at bridging this gap by investigating how CPRSs from four different manufacturers affect running economy in amateurs of both sexes at their individual running speeds. For this purpose, 21 trained amateur triathletes (12 men; 9 women) completed an incremental treadmill test until volitional exhaustion, yielding running speeds at ventilatory thresholds 1 (v_VT1) and 2 (v_VT2). In a second session, subjects ran five trials of 3 × 3 min (speeds of 90% v_VT1, ½ (v_VT1 + v_VT2), and 100% v_VT2), wearing one out of four different pairs of CPRSs or their own preferred non-CPRS shoes in each trial. Our results show that tested CPRS models resulted in a significant reduction in the mean energy cost of transport, compared to the non-CPRS control condition, with Cohen’s d amounting to −1.52 (p = 0.016), 2.31 (p < 0.001), 2.57 (p < 0.001), and 2.80 (p < 0.001), respectively, although effect sizes varied substantially between subjects and running speeds. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that amateur athletes may benefit from various manufacturers’ CPRS models at their typical running speeds to a similar degree as highly trained runners. It is recommended that amateur athletes evaluate a range of CPRSs and select the shoe that elicits the least subjective sensation of fatigue over a testing distance of at least 400–1000 m.

Maintaining dynamic stability during running incurs an energetic cost that does not contribute to forward propulsion. Despite this, dynamic stability has received little attention as a potential factor influencing running economy. To understand the relationship between dynamic stability and running economy, nineteen trained runners were tested on a treadmill across three individualized speeds. Whole-body dynamic stability was quantified via a single maximum Lyapunov exponent (MLE) computed from a 21D state-space embedding, which incorporated 3D angular velocities from seven body segments (bilateral: shank, upper torso, forearm; unilateral: lower torso) and running economy was measured as cost of transport (COT) using metabolic gas-exchange data. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the relationship between MLE and COT as well as the effects of running speed on MLE. MLE was negatively associated with COT ( p = 0.049), while running speed had no significant effect on MLE ( p > 0.579). This study is the first to demonstrate that the MLE calculated from a multivariate state-space is negatively associated with COT, indicating that runners with lower dynamic stability exhibit better running economy. Further, MLE was not affected by running speed, indicating that this measure of whole-body dynamic stability can be robustly assessed at a range of running speeds. These results may hint at a previously unexplored avenue to improve running economy through alteration of dynamic stability characteristics.

Altitude training camps are a popular measure to enhance endurance performance at sea level. This study elucidates the effects of acute altitude-induced hypoxia, running speed and surface on cadence, peak tibial acceleration (PTA), gait asymmetry and residual shock in distance running. Ten healthy, trained native lowlanders (6 males, 4 females; 28.2 ± 9.2 years; mean ${\dot{V}}_{{\mathrm{O}}_{2,\mathrm{p}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{k}}}$ of 54.9 ± 5.9 mL min⁻¹ kg⁻¹) participated in this study. They ran 1500 m bouts of at 50, 1000 and 2300 m above mean sea level on paved roads and natural trails at three different speeds. Those speeds were chosen to represent the most common training zones and were defined as $v_1=90\%\cdot v_{\mathrm{VT}1}$, $v_2=\frac{1}{2}\left(v_{\mathrm{VT}1}+v_{\mathrm{VT}2}\right)$ and $v_3=100\%\cdot v_{\mathrm{VT}2}$, with $v_{\mathrm{VT}1}$ and $v_{\mathrm{VT}2}$ denoting the speeds at the ventilatory thresholds 1 and 2. Based on the experimental results, cadence increased by +2.2 spm per +1 km h⁻¹ (p < 0.001) and fell by −1.1. spm per +1000 m of elevation (p < 0.001), whereas surface did not show any significant effect. Likewise, PTA was not affected by surface, but grew by 0.9 g per +1 km h⁻¹ (p < 0.001), and decreased by −0.6 g per +1000 m in elevation, with significant effects particularly at speeds beyond v_VT1 (p < 0.049). Absolute lateral asymmetry was not altered by elevation, surface or running speed. Mean shock attenuation increased with running speed by +2.5 percentage points per +1 km h⁻¹ (p < 0.001) but was independent of elevation and surface. In essence, running speed seems to be the predominant factor defining biomechanical loading, even under acute hypoxia and for varying surface conditions.

Background Dynamic stability has been proposed as a factor influencing running economy, but the nature and strength of this relationship remain poorly understood. Further, advanced footwear technology (AFT) has been widely adopted as it improves running economy, but it may also compromise dynamic stability due to its compliant midsole. Understanding the relationship between dynamic stability and running economy and how both can be affected through footwear could have important implications for performance optimization and footwear design. Methods 21 trained runners completed treadmill trials in four AFT models and their habitual SFT shoes at three individualized speeds. Local dynamic stability (LDS) was quantified via maximum Lyapunov exponents from seven segmental angular velocities, aggregated per trial. Running economy was measured as cost of transport. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess relationships between LDS, COT, and footwear. Results Aggregated LDS was negatively associated with COT (p = 0.036), indicating that runners with lower dynamic stability had better running economy. Further, footwear condition had no significant effect on LDS (p = 0.060–0.359), suggesting that AFT does not compromise running stability compared to habitual SFT running shoes. Conclusions This study is the first to demonstrate that an aggregate of LDS across multiple body segments is negatively associated with COT, indicating that runners with lower dynamic stability exhibit better running economy. AFT did not affect LDS compared to habitual SFT, suggesting that alterations of footwear characteristics within commercially available models have limited effects on running stability.