{"id":{"repo_id":"auckland-tech","oai_identifier":"oai:openrepository.aut.ac.nz:10292/16856"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/auckland-tech/oai:openrepository.aut.ac.nz:10292/16856","repository":{"repo_id":"auckland-tech","name":"AUT University","base_url":"https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Super-Shoes: Do Male Triathletes Reap the Benefits?","abstract":"Background: Running performance is the greatest contributor to overall race time in long-distance triathlon. Therefore, triathletes are constantly on the search for strategies to enhance their running performance, and recent advances in running footwear (‘super shoes’) appear to offer a potential solution. There is evidence from studies of runners to support a positive impact of super shoes on performance, but there is no evidence to suggest that these improvements necessarily carry over to long-distance triathletes, where their effect could be moderated by the preceding cycle. Additionally, much of the running-related evidence is related to elite-level athletes, and there is a need to examine the effects of super shoes in age-group (non-elite) athletes. Objective: The broad aim of this study is to determine if male age-group triathletes reap the benefits of super shoes, with the specific research question being: Do carbon-plated running shoes improve running performance and performance-related kinematic variables in a simulated cycle-run transition in age-group long-distance triathletes? Methods: Eight male age-group long-distance triathletes visited the laboratory on three occasions in an acute randomised balanced crossover design. The first session served as a characterisation trial, which involved a maximal incremental cycling assessment. Sessions two and three were experimental trials, consisting of an initial treadmill running economy assessment, a two-hour fatiguing cycle on a stationary bike, a post-fatigue running economy assessment, and finishing with a 10km treadmill time-trial in either a super shoe (Asics Metaspeed Sky) or a control traditional racing shoe (Asics Evoride 3). Running economy and biomechanical variables were recorded during both running economy assessments. Results: Time-trial performance was significantly better in the super shoe compared to the control shoe (p=0.002). Mean ground contact time (p=0.001, ηp2 = 0.793) and running economy (p=0.034, ηp2 =0.554) were significantly different between shoe conditions when averaged across the pre- and post-fatiguing cycle. The fatiguing cycle significantly differed in mean cadence (0.011, ηp2 =0.630), flight time (p=0.006, ηp2 =0.677), and stride length (p=0.012, ηp2 =0.621). Conclusion: Super shoes improve running performance and influence biomechanical variables of running performance in male age-group long-distance triathletes.","abstract_html":"Background: Running performance is the greatest contributor to overall race time in long-distance triathlon. Therefore, triathletes are constantly on the search for strategies to enhance their running performance, and recent advances in running footwear (‘super shoes’) appear to offer a potential solution. There is evidence from studies of runners to support a positive impact of super shoes on performance, but there is no evidence to suggest that these improvements necessarily carry over to long-distance triathletes, where their effect could be moderated by the preceding cycle. Additionally, much of the running-related evidence is related to elite-level athletes, and there is a need to examine the effects of super shoes in age-group (non-elite) athletes. Objective: The broad aim of this study is to determine if male age-group triathletes reap the benefits of super shoes, with the specific research question being: Do carbon-plated running shoes improve running performance and performance-related kinematic variables in a simulated cycle-run transition in age-group long-distance triathletes? Methods: Eight male age-group long-distance triathletes visited the laboratory on three occasions in an acute randomised balanced crossover design. The first session served as a characterisation trial, which involved a maximal incremental cycling assessment. Sessions two and three were experimental trials, consisting of an initial treadmill running economy assessment, a two-hour fatiguing cycle on a stationary bike, a post-fatigue running economy assessment, and finishing with a 10km treadmill time-trial in either a super shoe (Asics Metaspeed Sky) or a control traditional racing shoe (Asics Evoride 3). Running economy and biomechanical variables were recorded during both running economy assessments. Results: Time-trial performance was significantly better in the super shoe compared to the control shoe (p=0.002). Mean ground contact time (p=0.001, ηp2 = 0.793) and running economy (p=0.034, ηp2 =0.554) were significantly different between shoe conditions when averaged across the pre- and post-fatiguing cycle. The fatiguing cycle significantly differed in mean cadence (0.011, ηp2 =0.630), flight time (p=0.006, ηp2 =0.677), and stride length (p=0.012, ηp2 =0.621). Conclusion: Super shoes improve running performance and influence biomechanical variables of running performance in male age-group long-distance triathletes.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Keats, Samuel"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023","date_published":"2023","updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:46:20Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:10292/16856"],"render_values":[{"text":"hdl:10292/16856","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2023"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:10292/16856"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.other","label":"Dc Description Other","values":["Background: Running performance is the greatest contributor to overall race time in long-distance triathlon. Therefore, triathletes are constantly on the search for strategies to enhance their running performance, and recent advances in running footwear (‘super shoes’) appear to offer a potential solution. There is evidence from studies of runners to support a positive impact of super shoes on performance, but there is no evidence to suggest that these improvements necessarily carry over to long-distance triathletes, where their effect could be moderated by the preceding cycle. Additionally, much of the running-related evidence is related to elite-level athletes, and there is a need to examine the effects of super shoes in age-group (non-elite) athletes. Objective: The broad aim of this study is to determine if male age-group triathletes reap the benefits of super shoes, with the specific research question being: Do carbon-plated running shoes improve running performance and performance-related kinematic variables in a simulated cycle-run transition in age-group long-distance triathletes? Methods: Eight male age-group long-distance triathletes visited the laboratory on three occasions in an acute randomised balanced crossover design. The first session served as a characterisation trial, which involved a maximal incremental cycling assessment. Sessions two and three were experimental trials, consisting of an initial treadmill running economy assessment, a two-hour fatiguing cycle on a stationary bike, a post-fatigue running economy assessment, and finishing with a 10km treadmill time-trial in either a super shoe (Asics Metaspeed Sky) or a control traditional racing shoe (Asics Evoride 3). Running economy and biomechanical variables were recorded during both running economy assessments. Results: Time-trial performance was significantly better in the super shoe compared to the control shoe (p=0.002). Mean ground contact time (p=0.001, ηp2 = 0.793) and running economy (p=0.034, ηp2 =0.554) were significantly different between shoe conditions when averaged across the pre- and post-fatiguing cycle. The fatiguing cycle significantly differed in mean cadence (0.011, ηp2 =0.630), flight time (p=0.006, ηp2 =0.677), and stride length (p=0.012, ηp2 =0.621). Conclusion: Super shoes improve running performance and influence biomechanical variables of running performance in male age-group long-distance triathletes."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Super-Shoes: Do Male Triathletes Reap the Benefits?"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:date.issued":["2023"],"dc:description.other":["Background: Running performance is the greatest contributor to overall race time in long-distance triathlon. Therefore, triathletes are constantly on the search for strategies to enhance their running performance, and recent advances in running footwear (‘super shoes’) appear to offer a potential solution. There is evidence from studies of runners to support a positive impact of super shoes on performance, but there is no evidence to suggest that these improvements necessarily carry over to long-distance triathletes, where their effect could be moderated by the preceding cycle. Additionally, much of the running-related evidence is related to elite-level athletes, and there is a need to examine the effects of super shoes in age-group (non-elite) athletes. Objective: The broad aim of this study is to determine if male age-group triathletes reap the benefits of super shoes, with the specific research question being: Do carbon-plated running shoes improve running performance and performance-related kinematic variables in a simulated cycle-run transition in age-group long-distance triathletes? Methods: Eight male age-group long-distance triathletes visited the laboratory on three occasions in an acute randomised balanced crossover design. The first session served as a characterisation trial, which involved a maximal incremental cycling assessment. Sessions two and three were experimental trials, consisting of an initial treadmill running economy assessment, a two-hour fatiguing cycle on a stationary bike, a post-fatigue running economy assessment, and finishing with a 10km treadmill time-trial in either a super shoe (Asics Metaspeed Sky) or a control traditional racing shoe (Asics Evoride 3). Running economy and biomechanical variables were recorded during both running economy assessments. Results: Time-trial performance was significantly better in the super shoe compared to the control shoe (p=0.002). Mean ground contact time (p=0.001, ηp2 = 0.793) and running economy (p=0.034, ηp2 =0.554) were significantly different between shoe conditions when averaged across the pre- and post-fatiguing cycle. The fatiguing cycle significantly differed in mean cadence (0.011, ηp2 =0.630), flight time (p=0.006, ηp2 =0.677), and stride length (p=0.012, ηp2 =0.621). Conclusion: Super shoes improve running performance and influence biomechanical variables of running performance in male age-group long-distance triathletes."],"dc:identifier":["hdl:10292/16856"],"dc:title":["Super-Shoes: Do Male Triathletes Reap the Benefits?"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:46:20Z"}