Effects of a rebound shoe to reduce impact forces in jump-landing tasks

Impact forces are risk factors for injuries during jump-landing tasks. Rebound shoes could reduce impact forces and show potential applications in training and rehabilitation programs. Here, we determine the capacity of a rebound shoe in attenuating impact forces during different motor tasks involving foot landing.

Crossover laboratory research design.

Women not trained for jump-landing tasks performed different exercises while the vertical ground reaction force impact peak, time to peak, and asymmetries were determined. They were wearing a commercial rebound shoe and a control running shoe. Paired t-tests were used to compare the shoes and asymmetries.

Fifteen physically active women (average age of 23 years old, height of 1.64 m, and body mass of 63 kg).

Ground reaction forces.

The rebound shoe reduced the impact peak force and elicited slight asymmetries between the legs. The rebound shoe also showed a longer time to peak.

The rebound shoe tested reduced impact forces during jump-landing tasks, which is a potential application in training sessions and rehabilitation programs, requiring lower impact forces to the lower extremity. The effects of long-term use of these shoes still need to be investigated.