Abstract
Background: Landing is a common movement that occurs in many sports. Barefoot research has gained popularity in examining how shoes alter natural movements. However, it is unknown how a single leg landing under barefoot conditions, as well as landing height, affects ground reaction forces (GRF). Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the differences in GRF during a single leg landing under barefoot and shod conditions from various heights. Methods: Sixteen female Division II collegiate athletes, 8 basketball (age: 19.88 ± 0.64 yrs; height: 1.77 ± 0.09 m; mass: 75.76 ± 12.97 kg) and 8 volleyball (age: 20.00 ± 1.07 yrs; height: 1.74 ± 0.08 m; mass: 72.41 ± 5.41 kg), performed single leg landings from 12, 18, 24, and 30 inches barefoot and shod. An AMTI AccuGait force plate was used to record GRF. A 2 (condition) x 4 (box height) x 2 (sport) repeated measures ANOVA was performed to determine any GRF differences. Results: There were no significant three way or two-way interactions (p > 0.05). There was also no main effect for sport (p > 0.05). There were main effects for footwear and box height (p = 0.000) where shod (2295.121 ± 66.025 N) had greater impact than barefoot (2090.233 ± 62.684 N). Conclusions: Single leg barefoot landings resulted in less vertical GRF than shod landings. This could be due to increased flexion at the joints which aids in force absorption.
Highlights
The most common force that acts upon an individual is ground reaction force (GRF) and has been used since the 1970s to quantify the external forces that occur during dynamic movements (Logan, Hunter, Hopkins, Feland, & Parcell, 2010; Fu et al, 2017)
There were main effects for footwear and box height (p = 0.000) where shod was greater than barefoot
The main findings of this study showed that shod condition increased ground reaction forces at all box heights compared to the barefoot condition
Summary
The most common force that acts upon an individual is ground reaction force (GRF) and has been used since the 1970s to quantify the external forces that occur during dynamic movements (Logan, Hunter, Hopkins, Feland, & Parcell, 2010; Fu et al, 2017). Shoe characteristics, and anticipatory neuromuscular activity have all been known to affect ground reaction forces and impact loading (Fu et al, 2017). Barefoot research has gained popularity in examining how shoes alter natural movements It is unknown how a single leg landing under barefoot conditions, as well as landing height, affects ground reaction forces (GRF). Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the differences in GRF during a single leg landing under barefoot and shod conditions from various heights. Conclusions: Single leg barefoot landings resulted in less vertical GRF than shod landings. This could be due to increased flexion at the joints which aids in force absorption
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