And now the moment you have all been waiting for! A wrap up of a study about muscle activation in gastrocnemius (calf), rectus femoris (quads), biceps femoris (hamstrings), gluteus maximus (buttocks), erector spinae (back), and rectus abdominis (abs) as measured by an electromyographer in participants wearing those Shape Up, toning type shoes!
Ok maybe not, but I thought you might be intersted in a recent study done by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) about whether or not those crazy looking shoes actually work your muscles more and tone you up better than regular shoes.
If you watched the Super Bowl then you probably saw the commercial that said something about getting rid of your trainer and just wear Skecher Shape Up shoes.
So what's the scoop? Basically they hooked all the participants up to machines that monitor muscle activity wearing the wacky shoes had them walk on a treadmill and the same people then walked on the treadmill in regular running shoes.
What did they find? The toning shoes simply do not work. No extra muscle activity, no extra oxygen use, no extra caloric burn.
What about the studies that proved they did? You mean the non-peer reviewed study done by the shoe company selling the product?
What about the sore muscles people get from wearing them? You can get that from wearing any kind of odd shaped or new shoes, doesn't mean it is helping you get in shape. There are two good things that come from wearing the shoes.
The study said there is a chance the shoes can improve balance over time, so there is that. Also, if it makes people who wouldn't normally go walking go buy a pair and start walking, then that is awesome. So if you want better balance or if they will motivate you to walk more they are great, but don't think you will look like Kim Kardashian by lacing up some moon boots.
