Abstract
Red is perceived as a “winning color”, which may influence actual and perceived performances in sports, but little effort has been done to assess the added value on colored foot insoles in basketball movements. This study examined if colored foot insole would influence perceived comfort and lower extremity biomechanics during drop landing. Nineteen male basketball players performed drop landing trials with different insoles (red arch-support, white arch-support, and white-flat) and landing heights (0.45 and 0.61 m). Two-way (Insole x Height) ANOVAs with repeated measures were performed on each of the knee and ankle angles and moments variables. Wearing red arch-support insoles induced better perception of forefoot and rearfoot cushioning and overall comfort but smaller plantarflexion moment than the white-flat insoles (p < 0.05). Increased landing height was related to higher ground reaction loading, sagittal flexion angles, range of motion, and joint moments but smaller ankle eversion (p < 0.05). Findings indicate that foot insoles might have influenced comfort perception and joint kinetics, but not joint kinematics. The use of red color in foot insoles could potentially maximize the effectiveness of foot insoles in a way that alters comfort perception and motor control during landing, with implications for risk of injury.
Highlights
The belief that the color red enhances winning percentages and better human performance has driven the training and application over the years
The first objective of this study aimed to investigate whether arch-support insoles would influence impact forces, joint kinematics and kinetics, and comfort perception during landing from two landing heights
Smaller eversion at touchdown and peak ankle eversion but larger sagittal ankle range of motion (RoM) were determined for higher landing height, as compared to lower landing height (p < 0.01)
Summary
The belief that the color red enhances winning percentages and better human performance has driven the training and application over the years (e.g., penalty kick training for soccer goalkeepers and penalty takers, [1,2,3]). Red color can enhance people’s aggressiveness and increase testosterone levels that improve the perception of dominance as well as physical tasks and sport performances [1,4,5]. Athletes wearing red increase the chance of winning in other colors [1,6], as indicated by outperformed performances in penalty kick accuracy and successful goalkeeper’s safe [2,3]. The previous studies reported that viewing red has been shown to increase handgrip force and velocity [7] and that participants wearing red jerseys had significantly higher heart rates and higher pre-contest leg strength than control colors [8]. Previous color studies have focused predominantly on apparel effects (e.g., jersey) and did not report joint biomechanics that is related to performance and injury.
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