Shock-absorbing insoles may not actually help to prevent injuries, a new study suggests.
A paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine said there is no evidence to suggest that such devices can help to hinder stress fractures or soft tissue injuries.
The authors found that foot orthotics - tailor made foot supports - work well to reduce the risk of injury.
Australian experts examined 18 studies assessing the devices and found that foot orthoses provide a 28 per cent reduction in the risk of developing an overall injury and a 41 per cent reduction in the risk of developing a lower limb stress fracture.
Shock-absorbing insoles, which are predominantly used to reduce impact forces, were not found to be effective for the prevention of any type of injury.
The author's said foot orthoses and shock-absorbing insoles are "commonly used for the prevention and management of many musculoskeletal disorders of the lower extremity."
But after looking at pooled information from the relevant trials they found foot orthotics cut the risk of overall injury and of a stress fracture in the legs and feet.
Shock-absorbing insoles did not lessen the risk of any type of injury and in one trial, indicated they increased the risk.
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