EMG AND PLANTAR PRESSURE PATTERNS AFTER PROLONGED RUNNING

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of prolonged running on lower limb muscle activity, foot pressure and foot contact area. The treadmill running test was performed at a running velocity of 12 km/h for 20 minutes. Twenty-nine male students from the Army Infantry School took part in this study. For all subjects in our study, a number of variables were analyzed by the prolonged running. The EMG variables included the signal maximum amplitude of EMG linear envelope of all the muscles. Meanwhile, maximal forces and peak foot pressures in 10 anatomically defined areas of the foot, and contact area of the whole foot were analyzed. Running EMG data in each of the phases (phase 2–4) were compared to those at the beginning of the run (phase 1). Dynamic pedography data in phase 4 was compared to those of phase 1. Pedography analysis revealed a significant increase in the maximal forces and peak pressures under the medial midfoot and all forefoot regions. From phase 1 to phase 4, the maximal force increased by 32% under the medial midfoot, 29% under the first metatarsal, 34% under the second and third metatarsal, and 21% under the fourth and fifth metatarsal. The peak pressure under the medial midfoot increased by 19%, under the first metatarsal increased by 21%, under the second and third metatarsal increased by 31%, and under the fourth and fifth metatarsal increased by 21%. The averaged maximum EMG amplitudes of almost all the muscles were increased gradually as time increased. Among them, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior muscles reach a significant amplitude at the p < 0.05 level. In conclusion, our results showed that a prolonged running under a 20 minutes limitation led to a greater increase in muscle amplitude, midfoot and forefoot loading compared with the beginning of running.