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This study examined the influence of running shoe center of gravity relative position shifting forward and backward in sagittal axis on male amateur runners. Twenty-three adult male runners were recruited through social media with paid to participate in this study. The experimental shoe used was the Li Ning Feidian Challenger 3. Forward center of gravity (FCG), defined as the shoe center of gravity located at 10.8cm (15% before midpoint) from shoe toe to heel. Intermediate center of gravity (ICG), defined as the shoe center of gravity, is located at 14.8cm (midpoint) from shoe toe to heel. Backward center of gravity (BCG), defined as the shoe center of gravity, is located at 23.1cm (15% after midpoint) from shoe toe to heel. Questionnaire collection was used to assess the perception of the center of gravity shifting. Ground contact temporal, peak force/pressure of plantar and kinetics indicators data were simultaneously captured by motion capture system and force platform. Three participants (13.04%) correctly perceived the shoe center of gravity shifting forward and backward simultaneously. Shoes ICG peak force underneath Meta 1 increased significantly than BCG by 7.59% (p<0.05). Shoes FCG peak force underneath Meta 2 decreased significantly compared to ICG and BCG by 13.62% and 8.96% (p<0.05). Shoes BCG peak force underneath Meta 5 decreased significantly compared to ICG and FCG by 18.18% and 23.78% (p<0.05). Shoes FCG peak pressure underneath Meta 2 decreased significantly compared to ICG and BCG by 13.02% and 9.19% (p<0.05). Shoes FCG peak pressure underneath Meta 2 decreased significantly compared to ICG and BCG by 11.18% and 9.16% (p<0.05). However, there are no significant differences in kinetic indicators. The findings suggest that a fraction of participants can correct perceived shoe center of gravity shifting. Shoes’ FCG reduces force and pressure in the middle metatarsal regions. Shoes’ BCG reduces force in the lateral and medial metatarsal region. Healthcare professionals can optimize the design of footwear accordingly to improve rehabilitation outcomes and reduce injury risks in runners.
Purpose: This study aimed to present a preliminary case analysis of the impact of regular and irregular exercise on autonomic regulation and cardiorespiratory performance in young women by comprehensively investigating the nocturnal heart rate variability (HRV) parameters. Methods: Two young female participants were monitored using noncontact ballistocardiography technology to assess their nocturnal HRV daily for 32 weeks. Participant 1 was a 28-year-old woman who engaged in regular running (approximately three times a week, 5km each time), and participant 2 was a 24-year-old woman who participated in irregular running (typically ≤3 times a week, 5km each time). Additionally, cardiorespiratory fitness was evaluated through maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), with running data and VO2max measurements recorded using a wrist bracelet device. Results: During the experiment, the VO2max value of participant 1 increased by 11.46%, whereas that of participant 2 increased by 3.42%. A correlation was observed between VO2max and HRV, particularly in the high-frequency (HF) component. The correlation coefficient between ln HF and VO2max of participant 1 was 0.64, whereas that of participant 2 was 0.28. Additionally, participant 1 exhibited lower HRV complexity than participant 2, with fuzzy entropy values for ln HF of 0.12 and 0.35, respectively. Conclusions: Long-term assessment revealed a correlation between VO2max and nocturnal HRV in young female exercisers, particularly for the HF index. However, these findings may not apply to other populations, such as men or older individuals.