Cluffy originally developed their insoles to help people with foot pain. The insole was developed because there was no one else building an insole that was dealing with the root cause of many foot pains. Cluffy insoles are very effective at eliminating many foot pains.
Recently we started to explore whether by allowing the foot to function more normally, with much better movement of the foot through natural postures there would be any improvement in athletic performance.
It made sense to us that if we were restoring normal movement and mechanics to the foot, that the foot would be better at doing what it was designed to do, provide a stable platform for balance, stability, and potentially improved strength as well.
We have tested athletes from Cheerleading and Wrestling previously, putting the athletes in their competitive positions and testing balance, stability of the knee and strength in a variety of muscle groups. (link to sports pages). We approached this topic with some degree of uncertainty. However, what we found is that this insole offers benefits that are unique to its design suggesting widespread improvements in the parameters we have measured so far.
These findings are revolutionary for any insole product. Other insoles do not have any measurable effects on balance, stability or strength, but the unique features of the Cluffy insole do allow all these essential athletic skills to improve.
While the correct shoe is important for any athlete, the normal insoles were previously used for foot problems and pains only. The Cluffy Sport insole has expanded indications for sports and providing an increased sports performance potential you will not want to miss out on. The findings discussed below would suggest that most sports will see improvements in performance based on the shared importance of these skills.
CLUFFY Strength and Conditioning Findings Summary
These are the results from our recent testing of serious strength and conditioning athletes and some instructors. All testing was done with a handheld dynamometer measuring peak pounds of force applied. Please see the testing method and results below.
Balance testing – Results indicate the force required to push/pull the athlete out of balance.
The average improvement of all 10 balance tests is 39% with the addition of the Cluffy Sport Insole.
CLUFFY Strength testing
Results indicate force to break the initial position of the arm.
The average improvement in all 3 arm strength tests is 31% with the addition of the Cluffy Sport Insole.
The average improvement in all 3 leg strength tests is 29% with the addition of the Cluffy Sport Insole.
In Summary:
The average improvement of all 10 balance tests is 39% with the addition of the Cluffy Sport Insole.
The average improvement in all 3 arm strength tests is 31% with the addition of the Cluffy Sport Insole.
The average improvement in all 3 leg strength tests is 29% with the addition of the Cluffy Sport Insole.
The average improvement in knee stability is 36%.
These results indicate that there is an overall benefit of the Cluffy Sport Insole in both balance and strength. Surprisingly, the strength benefits carry over into the upper extremity as well. Even strength in the opposite leg was improved when we did the single limb strength testing. The stability of the knee was improved from side-to-side stresses, which may help prevent some knee injuries.
These results are exciting and have implications for many sports. For more information on the Cluffy Sport Insole or to arrange for a follow up call, e-mail us at info@cluffy.com or call us at (406) 274-7659.
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