2018 Volume 3 Article ID: 20180008
Objective: This study was conducted to clarify the ground reaction force exerted on the foot during athletic movements and to demonstrate the effects of reach balance training (RB-T) on toe grip strength as an injury prevention exercise. Methods: RB-T was undertaken for 2 weeks by 11 male college basketball players and 22 healthy male college students (including 10 participants in the control group). The vertical ground reaction forces during athletic movements were measured using ground reaction force meters. Before and after RB-T intervention, toe grip strength was measured with a toe grip strength meter, and distances of the center of pressure (COP) to the center of the foot during movement were measured using a three-dimensional motion analyzer. Results: The vertical ground reaction force during athletic movement was highest during take-off and decreased in the following order: single-leg front landing, single-leg lateral landing, and turning. The toe grip strength of the BT group and the T group increased after RB-T intervention. For the BT group, RB-T also tended to decrease the COP lateral distance on turning in the dominant leg and the COP front distance on turning and take-off in both legs. Conclusion: RB-T could improve the toe grip strength and stabilize the COP position.
