The Influence of Carbon Fiber Technology and Various Foot Strike Patterns on Biomechanical Efficiency and Performance in Professional Runners

With running's deep history and widespread popularity, runners are continuously seeking methods to improve their performance and efficiency. One solution is the use of carbon fiber insoles, which have gained popularity among athletes for their ability to enhance running performance. The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of carbon fiber technology and various foot strike patterns on biomechanical efficiency and performance in professional runners. It was hypothesized that a shoe containing a carbon fiber plate would provide a higher energy return compared to a shoe with a carbon fiber insole, as carbon fiber plates are specifically designed to optimize performance, while CFIs primarily focus on providing additional support and cushioning. For the first part of testing, the participant was asked to complete nine sections of 55 trials, running on a force plate to evaluate the effects of different footwear on running mechanics. In the motion capture section of the testing, the participant ran while five footstrikes were recorded in each section, continuing until a total of 495 trials were successfully captured. Data were extracted to calculate energy return and analyzed using a one-way ANOVA with a 95% confidence interval. The mean energy return was statistically significant, as the F-value of 42.1083 exceeded the critical value of 2.05. This indicates that there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis, suggesting that the mean energy return for a forefoot strike with a CFI differs from that of a midfoot strike with a CFI.