Concrete is hard. It has very low force reduction (-1.9%) but high energy restitution (77.2%). The result: concrete returns A LOT of energy, which can be tough on an athlete’s joints. On the opposite end of the spectrum is sand, which has a lot of give. Sand has very high force reduction (82.7%) and low energy restitution (0.50%). There is almost NO energy being returned here, so it is much more difficult to walk on, since sand is soft and “giving” as you walk.
Force Reduction adds a level of safety, while Energy Restitution adds performance and durability. For any given application (and the ideal surface for this space) Ecore Athletic strives to achieve the right balance between the two. For example, in applications where heavy weights are being dropped, durability is key; thus, requiring a product with higher energy restitution, like Performance Beast. This surface is durable enough to withstand the constant drop of weights. For an indoor track, some force reduction is necessary to lessen the impact on the joints and to also maximize energy restitution to keep the athlete going. For applications that are a mix of strength and conditioning or a multipurpose space, an even amount of force reduction and energy restitution is ideal, which is achieved with Ecore Athletic turf products.
Using a Deltec Field Tester, Ecore conducted Force Reduction and Energy Restitution testing in-house on all of its Ecore Athletic products. These results are shown here.