Relationships Between Toe-Grip Strength and Static and Dynamic Balance During Single-leg Stance

Abstract

Postural control deficit is considered a factor for lower limb injuries in athletes, such as knee and ankle joint injuries, and in recent years, relationships have been suggested between toe-grip strength and static and dynamic balance. Female athletes have a higher incidence of knee and ankle joint injuries than males, especially in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between toe-grip strength and static and dynamic balance during single-leg stance in female collegiate lacrosse players. METHODS: Thirty-three female collegiate lacrosse players (mean age 19.3 ± 0.9 years, mean height 159.2 ± 5.4 cm, mean weight 55.3 ± 5.1 kg) participated in this study. Static balance was tested using a stabilometer by having participants maintain a single-leg stance for 30 s, with outcome measures including total locus length, total locus length per unit area and per unit time, and circumference and rectangular area of body sway. Dynamic balance was evaluated using three directions on the star excursion balance test (anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral). Correlations between toe-grip strength and static and dynamic balance were determined using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The unpaired t-test was used to compare athletes with greater and lesser toe-grip strength. Significance level was p < 0.05. RESULTS: Toe-grip strength of the right foot was significantly negatively correlated with total locus length and total locus length per unit time (r = −0.354, p = 0.043, respectively), and athletes with a strong right-foot toe-grip had significantly shorter total locus length and total locus length per unit time compared with those with a weak one (p = 0.043, respectively). Athletes with a strong left-foot toe-grip had significantly longer normalized anterior reach distance (reach distance divided by leg length and multiplied by 100) on the star excursion balance test compared to those with a weak one (p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that toe-grip strength in female collegiate lacrosse players is related to static and dynamic balance ability in the single-leg stance and that its measurement and evaluation may contribute to the prevention of lower limb injuries, such as knee and ankle joint injuries, among female athletes.