The effects of strength and balance exercises on the center of pressure and plantar pressure distribution in adolescent ballet dancers

Abstract

ABSTRACT We aimed to examine whether the changes in neuromuscular strength indices and balance affect the gait patterns of five fundamental ballet techniques performed on a single leg after 8-weeks of strength+balance exercise coupled with traditional ballet classes. Thirty female ballet dancers were recruited (age:12.77 ± 1.52y). Anthropometric parameters, isokinetic ankle, knee, hip, and trunk muscle strength, and static and dynamic gait kinematics were performed using a repeated measures study design. The exercise group revealed greater knee, hip, ankle, and trunk muscle strength and lower center of pressure (COP) during follow-up measurements (p < 0.05, p < 0.001). Hip and trunk muscle strength was inversely correlated with heel impulse parameters (p < 0.05). Reduced R2 values were revealed for the normalized impulse measures of the forefoot, during all five techniques. However, an increase in normalized impulse measures of the heel region of the foot, on average, to a decrease in percent forefoot/rearfoot impulse and explained a significant proportion of variance in passé (R2 = 0.87), développé à la seconde side (R2 = 0.73), développé à la seconde front (R2 = 0.74), développé à la seconde back (R2 = 0.90), and penché (R2 = 0.84) heel impulse parameters. Muscle strengthening exercises and impulse-based load patterns of foot regions and COP may be used to verify the effectiveness of such treatments in redistributing the pressure throughout the foot.