THE EFFECT OF ARCH-SUPPORTED FUNCTIONAL INSOLES TO AVOID OVERUSED INJURIES DURING RACE WALKING

This study investigates the effectiveness of functional insoles on plantar pressure distribution during race walking in order to reduce the high plantar pressure and force on race walkers, who tend to suffer from overuse injury. A total of 20 male race walkers were recruited as subjects. Each participant completed a race walk with and without functional insoles. Plantar pressure insoles were used to collect plantar pressure data. A two-way analysis of variance with a mixed design was used to determine the difference between the two conditions. Results show that the use of functional insoles reduced the peak pressure and the impulse in the metatarsal heads and heels and thus suggest that functional insoles reduce the overuse injury risks of these parts. The first ground reaction force peak also decreased. This result suggests that functional insoles reduce the risks of foot and leg injuries

From metal to metal-free catalysts: Routes to sustainable chemistry

Catalysts are making our world more sustainable day by day. But how sustainable are catalysts themselves? In this contribution we will give a perspective overview of the progress in dematerializing catalysts, i.e., in using less (critical) materials to deliver the same (or better) level of functionality. This may be accomplished in many ways: improving the catalyst performance and durability by gaining insights in reaction, activation, and deactivation mechanisms; lowering the amount of critical or harmful catalytic components, e.g., by finding cheaper, more abundant, and sustainable substitutes; and making catalysts production and disposal processes more sustainable, e.g., by recycling. Material science and nanotechnology are two essential actors in this process, providing the tools to understand and optimize catalytic materials and processes, and to assess the environmental and toxicological impact of nanomaterials