Abstract
Proper ankle motor control is critical for balance in the human body during functional activities such as standing, walking, and running. Different exercise modalities are often performed during the same training session where earlier activities may influence later ones. The purpose of the current study was to determine the acute effects of different exercise modalities on ankle force sense. Seventeen subjects performed four different intervention protocols (static stretching, balance task, concentric contractions, and control) in random order. Each session comprised measurements before and after the intervention protocol of the force sense of the ankle plantar flexors (PF) and dorsal flexors (DF) at 10% and 30% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC). Absolute errors (AE) were calculated separately for each force level and muscle group. An overall PF error (PF-SUM = PF at 10%MVC + PF at 30%MVC), DF error (DF-SUM = DF at 10%MVC + DF at 30%MVC) and ankle error (PF-DF-SUM = PF-SUM + DF-SUM) were also calculated. The main effect of time generally revealed that ankle force sense was significantly reduced after static stretching (PF-DF-SUM: Pre: 6.11±2.17 Nm, Post: 8.03±3.28 Nm; p < 0.05), but no significant differences were observed for the concentric contractions (PF-DF-SUM: Pre: 6.01±1.97 Nm, Post: 6.50±2.28 Nm) and the balance task (PF-DF-SUM: Pre: 5.25±1.97 Nm, Post: 5.50±1.26 Nm). The only significant interaction was observed for the PF-DF-SUM (F = 4.48, p = 0.008) due to greater error scores after stretching (+31.4%) compared to the concentric (+8.2%), balance (+4.8%), and control (-3.5%) conditions. Based on these results, static stretching should not be performed before activities that require a high ankle force sense such as balance, coordination, and precision tasks.
Highlights
Awareness of the acute effects of different exercise modalities is important to prescribe them in an optional sequence during a training session
The ANOVA test showed significant main effect of time for dorsal flexors (DF) 10% (F = 11.8, p = 0.003), plantar flexors (PF)-SUM (F = 6.52, p = 0.021), and DF-SUM (F = 5.00, p = 0.040 due to higher error scores post-exercise, but no significant differences were observed for PF 10% (F = 1.16, p = 0.298), PF 30% (F = 1.91, p = 0.186), and DF 30% (F = 0.99, p = 0.335)
The present study examined the acute effects of static stretching, fatiguing concentric contractions, and balance task on force sense of the ankle
Summary
Awareness of the acute effects of different exercise modalities is important to prescribe them in an optional sequence during a training session. Selective effect of different exercise modalities on ankle force sense stretching impairs subsequent physical performance [1]. There is not much information on the acute effects of different exercise modalities (e.g., stretching, concentric contractions, or balance task) on kinaesthesia. Over the past few years, developing kinaesthetic sense has become a necessary element in re-establishing proper motor control after injury [3] and in preventing falls in the elderly [4]. Improvements in kinaesthetic sense within a sports context usually occurs in parallel with other training interventions [5], its development and use within an exercise unit have had little attention
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