Mechanical doping is a term that originated in cycling. With the invention of super shoes, it has now reached running.
Motor doping, or mechanical doping, in competitive cycling terminology, is a method of cheating by using a hidden motor to help propel a racing bicycle (Wikipedia).
In 2017, Nike was the first shoe manufacturer to introduce super shoes, then known as the Vaporfly. These shoes increased performance by 2 to 5%, depending on the runner. Needless to say, they quickly rose in popularity. Read more about the amazing Vaporlfy in our blog post.
Critics of these shoes argue that the super shoes provide unfair support or advantage to runners. Some even consider these shoes a form of technical or mechanical doping.
Ross Tucker has posted an article on his website (The Science of Sport) entitled “Running shoe tech: The Emperor’s clothes, and the issues for the integrity of running“. As is his nature, he goes into great detail about the ethical underpinnings of sport, equipment technology, the inequality that technology creates, and much more. The article is a great resource for anyone who wants to dive deeper into this topic.