Advanced Footwear Technology in Federated Athletes

Use of Advanced Footwear Technology in Federated Athletes. An Ambispective Observational Study

Background. Athletics is one of the sports modalities with the greatest growth in the number of federative licenses in our country. In the last five years, the use of footwear with Advanced Footwear Technology (AFT) has become widespread in order to increase athletic performance.

Objective. To analyze the risk of injury in athletes using Advanced Footwear Technology as well as the sporting, sociodemographic and anthropometric variables that influence this risk.

Method. Ambispective cohort study. Ninety-five athletes competing in events longer than 800 meters will be recruited. The primary variable will be the number of injuries, muscular and tendon, of lower limbs in the last 3 athletic seasons. Secondary and modifying variables will be: age, sex, weekly training load with and without AFT, weekly training frequency, completion of a complementary toning program and foot size. Potential confounding variables will be body mass index, main training surface and commercial footwear models used. The analysis will calculate the risk of injury in these athletes and assess the influence of confounders and trend analysis on the primary variable, stratified by potential confounders.

Expected results. To calculate the risk of injury as a function of sport, sociodemographic and anthropometric variables. Identify

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Athlete Foot
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Survey of athletes

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 134

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Principality of Asturias
    • Oviedo, Principality of Asturias, Spain, 33006
      • University of Oviedo

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Federated athletes competing in events over 800 meters in the Principality of Asturias.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Athletes competing in events longer than 800 meters; iii) athletes who have not undergone previous musculoskeletal surgery in the seasons under study.
• Federated in the Federación de Atletismo del Principado de Asturias (Asturias Athletics Federation).
• Athletes who have not undergone previous musculoskeletal surgery in the seasons under study.
• Who were federated at least one year before the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Athletes who do not use AFT devices.
• Athletes with a muscle or tendon injury at the time of the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Athletes using advanced footwear technology; Athletes competing in events longer than 800 meters, federated in the Athletics Federation of the Principality of Asturias and using shoes with Advanced Footwear Technology. Data will be collected on the number of injuries (muscle and tendon), lower limb injuries in the last 3 athletic seasons, as well as age, sex, weekly training load with and without AFT, weekly training frequency, completion of a complementary toning program and foot size

Other: Survey of athletes; Data will be collected on the number of injuries (muscle and tendon), lower limb injuries in the last 3 athletic seasons, as well as age, sex, weekly training load with and without AFT, weekly training frequency, completion of a complementary toning program and foot size.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of the number of muscle and tendon injuries recorded by athletes in the lower limbs	Number of lower limb muscle and tendon injuries during the last 3 athletic seasons	Screening visit

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of age	Measurement of age (measured in years completed, by requesting the date of birth to calculate this value).	Screening visit
Assessment of gender	Measurement of gender (measured with a dichotomous variable: female / male)	Screening visit
Assessment of the weekly training load, using AFT or not	Measurement of weekly training load with and without AFT (measured in kilometers traveled)	Screening visit
Assessment of weekly training frequency	Measurement of weekly training frequency (measured in hours).	Screening visit
Assessment of the implementation of a complementary strengthening program	Measurement of the implementation of a complementary strengthening program (measured with a dichotomous variable: yes/no).	Screening visit
Assessment of the size of athletes' feet	Measurement of foot size (measured in international units)	Screening visit

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of body mass index	Measurement of body mass index (measured as kg/m2). This variable will be considered as a possible confounding variable	Screening visit
Assessment of the main training surface	Measurement of the main training surface (response options: asphalt, dirt, track and tartan). This variable will be considered as a possible confounding variable	Screening visit
Assessment of commercial footwear models used by athletes	Measurement of commercial footwear models used (response options: Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT%, Nike ZoomX Alphafly NEXT%, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro, Asics Metaspeed Sky, New Balance Fuelcell SuperComp Elite, Saucony Endorphin Pro, Puma Deviate Nitro Elite, and HOKA Rocket X). This variable will be considered as a possible confounding variable	Screening visit
Assessment of athletes' weight	Assessment of athletes' weight, measured in kg.	Screening visit
Assessment of the height of the athletes	Assessment of the height of the athletes, measured in cm.	Screening visit

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Oviedo
• Investigators: Study Director: Rubén Cuesta-Barriuso, PhD, Universidad de Oviedo

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 31, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 25, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 1, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): April 9, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 1, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 27, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Physiotherapy; Risk; Disease; Secondary Prevention; Athletics; Advanced Footwear Technology
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Infections; Skin Manifestations; Skin Diseases; Bacterial Infections and Mycoses; Skin Diseases, Infectious; Foot Diseases; Mycoses; Dermatomycoses; Tinea; Foot Dermatoses; Pruritus; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Disease; Tinea Pedis
• Other Study ID Numbers: ATL-foot

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No