Tuning the Body's Spring: Footwear, Neuromuscular Control, and Achilles Tendon Energy Loss

The Achilles tendon stores and returns elastic energy with every step, yet how much of that energy is lost, its hysteresis, remains debated, with in vivo estimates often exceeding values measured in isolated tissue. In this seminar, I will present our recent work in Footwear Science showing that insole design alters the ankle's gear ratio, joint mechanics, and Achilles tendon loading during running. I will then propose using this gear ratio manipulation as an experimental tool to test whether in vivo hysteresis reflects true tissue behaviour or measurement error. Finally, I will connect this tissue-level question to findings from two randomized trials of neuromuscular retraining in patellofemoral pain and chronic low back pain, and outline a research program linking footwear, motor control, and tendon mechanics to injury prevention and rehabilitation.