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Related Experiment Videos

Improving balance

S Robbins1, E Waked, N Krouglicof

  • 1McGill University Centre for Studies in Aging, Montreal General Hospital, Quebec, Canada.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|November 11, 1998
PubMed
Summary
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Shoes with low resiliency soles improve balance and stability, especially for older adults. This technology reduces sway velocity, offering potential health benefits for those with balance issues.

Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Gerontology
  • Sports Medicine

Background:

  • Footwear sole material properties significantly influence balance and comfort.
  • Low resiliency materials retain compressed thickness, potentially altering energy return during gait.
  • Understanding these effects is crucial for designing supportive and safe footwear, particularly for aging populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the hypothesis that low resiliency (LR) sole materials enhance balance compared to high resiliency (HR) materials.
  • To assess if LR sole materials provide equal comfort to HR sole materials.
  • To investigate the impact of sole resiliency on postural stability in younger and older adults.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized-order, cross-over, controlled comparison study.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Participants included 30 healthy older (mean age 66) and 30 younger (mean age 34) men.
  • Postural stability was measured using sway velocity, X-Y area, and radial area; comfort was assessed via direct scaling and magnitude estimation.

    • Main Results:

    • Low resiliency interfaces significantly reduced sway velocity in both younger (311% improvement) and older (31% improvement) groups compared to high resiliency interfaces.
    • Sway velocity with low resiliency interfaces was lower than with a bare platform, indicating superior stability.
    • Comfort levels were reported as equal across all tested sole materials.

    Conclusions:

    • Low resiliency sole technology demonstrably improves postural stability by dissipating energy and moderating overshoot during postural adjustments.
    • This technology holds significant potential for enhancing the health and safety of unstable older individuals by reducing fall risk.
    • Current theories do not fully explain the mechanism of improved balance with low resiliency interfaces, suggesting a need for further research into energy storage and return in biological tissues.