Earlier this month, thousands of sports scientists gathered in Denver for the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual mega-conference. In more than 1,500 presentations, they offered a peek at new and forthcoming data on the science of health and performance. In the coming days, I’m going to share a few highlights, starting with the latest findings on running shoes: how they work, what to train in, and how to pick the best model for you.
Finally, Some Data on Super Spikes
Back in 2021, I wrote about the new generation of track spikes, which like the now-ubiquitous road running supershoes combine a stiff plate with a layer of ultralight and resilient cushioning. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggested that the new spikes were indeed faster than older versions, but no one had yet quantified the effect.
A group led by Dustin Joubert of St. Edward’s University in Austin (and formerly of Stephen F. Austin State University) decided to fill this gap. They recruited 11 distance runners to come to the lab and test seven different shoes: three road supershoes, one traditional racing flat, two track super spikes, and one…
