The effects of non-Newtonian fluid material midsole footwear on tibial shock acceleration and attenuation

Enze Shao, Qichang Mei, Julien S. Baker, István Bíró, Wei Liu*, Yaodong Gu*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Introduction: Given the possibility of higher ground temperatures in the future, the pursuit of a cushioning material that can effectively reduce sports injuries during exercise, particularly one that retains its properties at elevated temperatures, has emerged as a serious concern.

    Methods: A total of 18 man recreational runners were recruited from Ningbo University and local clubs for participation in this study. Frequency analysis was employed to investigate whether there is a distinction between non-Newtonian (NN) shoes and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) shoes.

    Results: The outcomes indicated that the utilization of NN shoes furnished participants with superior cushioning when engaging in a 90° cutting maneuver subsequent to an outdoor exercise, as opposed to the EVA material. Specifically, participants wearing NN shoes exhibited significantly lower peak resultant acceleration (p = 0.022) and power spectral density (p = 0.010) values at the distal tibia compared to those wearing EVA shoes. Moreover, shock attenuation was significantly greater in subjects wearing NN shoes (p = 0.023) in comparison to EVA shoes. Performing 90° cutting maneuver in NN shoes resulted in significantly lower peak ground reaction force (p = 0.010), vertical average loading rate (p < 0.010), and vertical instantaneous loading rate (p = 0.030) values compared to performing the same maneuvers in EVA shoes.

    Conclusion: The study found that the PRA and PSD of the distal tibia in NN footwear were significantly lower compared to EVA footwear. Additionally, participants exhibited more positive SA while using NN footwear compared to EVA. Furthermore, during the 90° CM, participants wearing NN shoes showed lower PGRF, VAIL, and VILR compared to those in EVA shoes. All these promising results support the capability of NN footwear to offer additional reductions in potential injury risk to runners, especially in high-temperature conditions.
    Original languageEnglish
    Article number1276864
    Number of pages10
    JournalFrontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
    Volume11
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 13 Dec 2023

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Biotechnology
    • Bioengineering
    • Histology
    • Biomedical Engineering

    User-Defined Keywords

    • non-Newtonian flow
    • ethylene vinyl acetate
    • shock acceleration
    • biomechanics
    • tibial

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