Asking the Question by NORRIE WILLIAMSON
ASKING THE QUESTION
Asking the Question by NORRIE WILLIAMSON
Pros and Cons of Plates
There are great benefits to be gained by running in plated shoes , but there can also be negatives if the shoes are not used in the right way , at the right time . Here ’ s some food for thought on the topic .
Over the past decade , shoe technology has evolved significantly , with three particularly interlinked changes : ( 1 ) The majority of midsole depths have increased , and these are normally accompanied with a sharper ‘ carving ’ of a roll-off design at the forefoot . ( 2 ) The material used in the midsole is extremely light and well cushioned , hiding much of the feel of the ground contact . ( 3 ) Many shoes have some form of polyurethane or carbon plate embedded in the midsole , and these make the shoe virtually rigid from front to rear .
There can be little doubt that the vast majority of these modern shoes offer improved energy-return , and studies show that on average , a 4 % improvement is the result , for both elites and average runners . Now , every performance is unique , but certain facets of running tend to hold true , and we can see this when we look at two of the most challenging Olympic Marathon courses in history .
Comparing Courses
In 2004 , the Athens Olympic Marathon followed the authentic original course from the plains of Marathon to the 1896 Olympic Stadium . At the 10km mark , the runners began a consistent 22km climb , after which there was a steep , jarring descent from 32km to the finish . The total ascent in the course was around 330 metres . When Jean-Marie Gralle , Hugh Jones and I measured that 2004 route three weeks prior to the race , I predicted a finish time of 2:10:50 , and on race day , the Olympic Record was indeed broken by Italy ’ s Stefano Baldini in 2:10:55 . That race
Chinese brands like Xtep are starting to make big inroads on the global running shoe market will also be remembered for Great Britain ’ s Paula Radcliffe , then the World Recordholder , being forced to abandon the race , in tears , with around 6km to go , because of the damage to her leg muscles from the eccentric loading of the steep downhill .
By comparison , this year ’ s Paris Olympic course had even more ascent – roughly 440 metres – and similarly had steep down and flat for the final 10km to the finish . In theory , the winning time should therefore have been around 25 % slower than a flat marathon , due to the 25 % increase in ascent and descent , but instead , both the men ’ s and the women ’ s Olympic Records were broken and many personal bests were recorded . The men ’ s record of 2:06:32 had been set on a relatively pancakeflat Beijing course in 2008 , but despite the similarly adverse weather conditions , the winner in Paris ran 2:06:26 over a mountainous route , by comparison !
Enhanced Performances
It ’ s not as though the intervening two decades have uncovered considerably better training procedures , but rather that technology and belief in ability has inspired new levels of performance . And in Paris , it seems that the massive enhancement of midsole material together with plates in the shoes , not only protected the athletes ’ quads , knees and hamstrings more , but provided a level of energy-return that delivered that 4 % improvement in time , instead of the expected drop in performance due to the harder course !
The difference between plated and non-plated shoes are indisputable , but elite athletes will gain greater benefit from plated shoes than recreational runners in terms of stride length and rebound , primarily due to a combination of landing point , body position , flexibility / hip mobility , and leg strength . That said , there is in all probability less variability in the benefit achieved from the cushioning and reduced muscle damage , particularly when both time and number of impacts ( foot falls / steps ) are considered . Nevertheless , it ’ s easy to see the immediate benefits for any athlete to invest R3000 to R6000 in this new technology … but there is a need to review how this technology is used , and what some of the drawbacks may be .
1 Reduced Soreness vs Stolen Strength The protection of the new midsole material is visibly beneficial when one looks around the general marathon finishers after any event . That staggering ‘ rigor mortis shuffle ’ that has been the signature badge of honour of any marathoner is now less frequent in those wearing the plated shoes , than those in what one could call traditional shoes . These ‘ plated runners ’ tend to be able to get back to training within two days , whereas a minimum of a week off was previously the prescription , and is still required , for most runners in traditional shoes .
This stiff soreness was due to something called ‘ Delayed Onset Muscle Stiffness ’ ( DOMS ), which indicated minor tears and inflammation to the muscle fibres and structures . It was certainly not unusual for this muscle stiffness to remain for three , even four days , with day two usually being the worst . Now it seems we can minimise this , but here ’ s the thing : When those micro tears healed , they made the muscles stronger , and hence better prepared , for a similar experience in the next two to eight weeks . Follow the logic here as the reduction in muscle damage now means lower benefits in leg strength . In fact , one of the biggest cons of plated shoes is how they are probably reducing leg strength in recreational runners !
Images : Courtesy Hoka , Nike , Xtep
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