Technology in Sport

Technology has permitted coaches to keep track of athletic performance and generate individual training schedules, to improve player capabilities (Windt et al., 2020). The 2016 Nike Vapour fly Shoe contains full-length carbon fibre plate which enhances an athlete's running efficiency by at least four percent. A benefit of the shoe is the recognition of the shoe worn by marathon runners such as Eliud Kipchoge who completed a marathon in under two hours (Salas et al., 2023). This demonstrated being equipped with high-performance technology permitted him to uphold speed and efficiency and compete at their highest ability. Dr Matt Cole stated, 'the huge advancements and new records in recent years can be accredited to the Vapour Fly trainers. 

Two experimental researchers analysed the effect on marathon runners wearing the shoes to test impact on performance. 29 out of 40 athletes (72.50%) enhanced their performance, while the remaining 27.50% did not benefit. This is because the shoe provides a light midsole allowing more energy return, without affecting environmental constraints (Rodrigo-Carranza et al., 2021). The high stack of soft foam in the shoe also provides an unsteady ride for overpronated runners. A biomechanical study at University of Colorado confirmed the Vapour fly's combination of plate and foam has affected ankle mechanics. Minimizing the work their calves usually produce, creating stiffness across the big toe joint, affecting performance (Kuzma, 2020). 

Using this technology, has led to 'distorting the record books' after 31 of the 36 top-three finishes in marathons in 2019 were declared by athletes displaying this footwear (BBC 2020). Eliud Kipchoge, wearing a prototype Nike Alpha Fly, became the first to break two hours for a marathon in Vienna in 2019 (Staff, 2020). Therefore, these shoes have transferred the way athletes train, and generated a new generation of performance-enhancing footwear. However, Lazaroff concluded that if a technological reinforcement led to equipment becoming so advanced that one cannot recognize skill level from an athlete's performance, the theory of sport is irreversibly transformed (Brown, 2020). A similar point is raised by Ross Tucker as he states the growing presence of the shoe at the highest levels of the sport has led to implications of unfairness. Indeed, the danger of technology can negatively influence sports performance (Dyer, 2020).