The role of engineering in fatigue reduction during human locomotion — a review |
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Authors: | Guillaume Millet Stéphane Perrey Caroline Divert Matthieu Foissac |
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Institution: | 1. Unité PPEH, Université Jean Monnet, Pavillon Médecine du Sport - Myologie, H?pital Bellevue, 42055, Saint-Etienne Cedex 2, France 2. Faculté des Sciences du Sport, EA 2991 Efficience et Déficience Motrices, 700 Avenue du Pic Saint Loup, 34090, Montpellier, France 3. Faculté des Sciences et des Métiers du Sport, Université de Valenciennes Le Mont Houy, 59313, Valenciennes Cedex 09, France
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Abstract: | The purpose of this review is to discuss how an athlete’s fatigue can be limited by using recent innovations in sports engineering.
The review focuses on human locomotion, i.e. mainly fatigue during endurance sports. First, through a general definition and
illustrations of means of locomotion such as running, cycling, walking/hiking or speed skating, several aspects of fatigue
reduction will be presented. With regards to the mechanical stress, it has been shown that (i) contrary to ‘invitro’ experiments and, in comparison with hard shoes, soft shoes do not appear to reduce impact forces during running and (ii)
too much cushioning can have side effects in terms of energy cost and thus in terms of fatigue in running and mountain biking.
On the contrary, the equipment weight-that also depends on the weight repartition may have dramatic effects in terms of fatigue.
Any equipment allowing better mechanical efficiency (e.g. chainrings, klapskate) or work distribution (e.g. walking with poles)
can potentially reduce an athlete’s fatigue under similar conditions without this equipment. However, among elite athletes,
the use of technical innovation does not seem to affect fatigueper se but provides performance improvement with similar fatigue occurrence. It appears that fatigue-related improvements caused
by technical innovations only occur among sportsmen exercising for leisure. In the second part of this review, recent textile
innovations aimed at decreasing fatigue by the use of elastic compression stockings or at regulating temperature will be discussed.
Finally, two methods designed to improve recovery after training or competition (elastic compression and electromyostimulation)
will be discussed. Both these techniques are widely used by elite athletes despite relatively poor scientific evidence of
their efficiency, with the exception of recovery after eccentric exercise. |
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Keywords: | energy cost mechanical stress muscular work recovery temperature regulation |
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