A comparison of athletes’ general endurance when wearing minimalist versus structured footwear

Abstract

Background: Minimalist footwear have currently invaded the endurance running community due to their lightweight and less supportive characteristics, as opposed to structured footwear that possess heavily cushioned and protective characteristics. General endurance is the capacity to perform physical activity that includes large muscle groups, and the input of various body systems, over an extended period of time. A fundamental constituent when defining ‘general endurance’ is oxygen consumption, characterized by the amount of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), which is the maximal amount of oxygen uptake achieved when an individual is working at maximal capacity. VO2 max assessment is commonly performed in endurance runners to predict aerobic fitness and endurance performance and this is measured on a treadmill or cycle ergometer when running. Studies have focused on structured and minimalist footwear and their effects on running economy and performance; however studies investigating the effect of structured and minimalist footwear on general endurance in terms of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), are still lacking. Aim: To evaluate whether there is a difference in general endurance when comparing minimalist footwear to structured footwear, in long distance recreational runners. Objectives: To assess the athletes’ general endurance when running on a treadmill in minimalist versus structured footwear, for as long as possible and to measure if there is any difference in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) between the two different types of footwear, when performing the Bruce Treadmill Protocol. Design & Methods: A quantitative, quasi-experimental, within subject design study was employed. A group of participants (n=30), of average age 24.80 (range 20-35), that were recreational long distance runners, who ran at least 12km per week, with no previous experience with minimalist running shoes and/or barefoot running took part. The VO2 max of each athlete was brought about by running on a treadmill when using the Bruce Treadmill Protocol were two different trials, ‘Trial 1’ wearing structured footwear and ‘Trial 2’ wearing minimalist footwear were performed by each participant. The time taken for each athlete to reach volitional exhaustion was recorded and interpreted via two equations depending on whether the participant was male or female. The results of the equation were the participants' estimate VO2 max and these were compared between the two types of footwear. Results: The results of this study found a significant difference in general endurance when wearing minimalist footwear versus structured footwear, since the p-value was that of 0.038, indicating a higher efficiency in minimalist footwear. Conclusion: Minimalist footwear was found to be more effective at improving general endurance over structured footwear, in long distance recreational runners. Further research should be conducted by using the direct method for measuring VO2 max, to investigate whether results are consistent with this study.