Publication: Stress analysis of carbon-fiber plated footwear during running
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Date
2024-08-02
Authors
Muhammad Fikri bin Shamsuri
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Abstract
Interest in using carbon fibre plate (CFP) in sports shoes arises from the benefits of performance enhancement and injury prevention. However, the relationship between CFP usage and bone stress injuries (BSI) remains uncertain due to limited research on this topic. Furthermore, although this concern has been raised, little research specifically examines the relationship between sole stress distribution, CFP and BSI. This study aims to evaluate the effects of CFP on BSI by employing detailed FEA of sports shoes with CFP. The primary objective is to understand how CFP affects stress distribution in the shoe and its relation to the risk of injury. Advanced methods of FEA using ANSYS Structural software are applied to run simulations involving the use of several thicknesses of this CFP during running gaits for comparison of their effects. The results showed that the presence and thickness of CFP significantly affected the distribution of stresses on the shoe sole, which was the more homogeneous stress distribution in CFP shoes than the shoe without CFP. This uniformity suggests a potential reduction in areas with highly concentrated stresses, which could reduce injury risk. Third, running in CFP changes the biomechanical aspect and thus increased running economy, but to the expense of GRF patterns. Shoes combined with CFP also enhance the peak of GRF necessitating careful design of the shoes. This study concluded that by optimizing CFP design, moderate peak plantar pressures related to thickness and placement may be achieved and hence BSI would be reduced. Well-designed CFP shoes could incorporate both performance and safety, and with that, future CFP studies on sports shoes should identify research that is longitudinally based, involves diverse athlete populations, more advanced biomechanical analysis, and material innovations, which could potentially materialize from this study. This study contains very good findings to develop safer and more efficient athletic footwear in the expanding field of sports footwear technology.