Changes in Footprint with Resistance Exercise

Abstract

We aimed to describe the changes in footprint characteristics after 2 types of resistance training sessions performed at different intensities. 18 young subjects (8 men and 10 women) volunteered for the study. All of them performed 2 different resistance training sessions, one with light loads (LS) and the other with heavy loads (HS). Their footprint was recorded and analysed before and after exercise. Lengths, widths, and areas of the footprint (rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot) were measured. Almost all the variables significantly increased after both sessions. The greatest changes were found in the midfoot (area, LS: 10.4%; HS: 8.1%, P<0.0005; width, LS: 7.5%, P=0.002, and HS: 8%, P<0.0005). However, there were no significant differences between post-exercise data from both sessions. The variable that showed the smallest changes was the foot length (LS: 0.3%, P=0.023; HS: −0.4%, P=0.549). A resistance training session led to increases in most of the dimensions of the footprint, regardless of the magnitude of the loads handled. The greatest changes were found in the midfoot, indicating that the foot was flatter after exercise, and the foot changed more in width than in length.

Key words

foot - arch index - weightbearing - footwear

References

• 1 Asplund CA, Brown DL. The running shoe prescription: fit for performance.  Phys Sportsmed. 2005;  33 17-24
• 2 Baker CH, Davis DL. Isolated skeletal muscle blood flow and volume changes during contractile activity.  Blood Vessels. 1974;  11 32-44
• 3 Burns SL, Leese GP, McMurdo ME. Older people and ill fitting shoes.  Postgrad Med J. 2002;  78 344-346
• 4 Cappaert JM, Rich B, Roberts S. Variation in foot shape under various loading conditions. In: Proceedings 8th Footwear Biomechanics Symposium. Taipei (Taiwan), 2007
• 5 Carlsoo S, Wetzenstein H. Change of form of the foot and the foot skeleton upon momentary weight-bearing.  Acta Orthop Scand. 1968;  39 413-423
• 6 Cavanagh PR. Biomechanics of distance running. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Books; 1990
• 7 Cavanagh PR, Rodgers MM. The arch index: a useful measure from footprints.  J Biomech. 1987;  20 547-551
• 8 Cloughley WB, Mawdsley RH. Effect of running on volume of the foot and ankle.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1995;  22 151-154
• 9 Cheng JC, Leung SS, Leung AK, Guo X, Sher A, Mak AF. Change of foot size with weightbearing. A study of 2829 children 3 to 18 years of age.  Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1997;  342 123-131
• 10 Delavier F. Strength training anatomy. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2006: 144
• 11 Dixon CB, Robertson RJ, Goss FL, Timmer JM, Nagle EF, Evans RW. The effect of acute resistance exercise on serum malondialdehyde in resistance-trained and untrained collegiate men.  J Strength Cond Res. 2006;  20 693-698
• 12 Elvira JL, Vera-Garcia FJ, Meana M. Subtalar joint kinematic correlations with footprint arch index in race walkers.  J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2008;  48 225-234
• 13 Fleck SJ, Kraemer WJ. Designing resistance training programs. 3rd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2004: 377
• 14 Frey C. Foot health and shoewear for women.  Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2000;  372 32-44
• 15 Harber MP, Fry AC, Rubin MR, Smith JC, Weiss LW. Skeletal muscle and hormonal adaptations to circuit weight training in untrained men.  Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2004;  14 176-185
• 16 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. International Journal of Sports Medicine – Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research.  Int J Sports Med. 2009;  30 701-702
• 17 Houston VL, Luo G, Mason CP, Mussman M, Garbarini M, Beattie AC. Changes in male foot shape and size with weightbearing.  J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2006;  96 330-343
• 18 Jacobsson S, Kjellmer I. Accumulation of fluid in exercising skeletal muscle.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1964;  60 286-292
• 19 Johnson TE. Running and court shoes. In: Kreighbaum EF, Smith MA (eds) Sports and Fitness Equipment Design. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics; 1995: 15-30
• 20 Kadambande S, Khurana A, Debnath U, Bansal M, Hariharan K. Comparative anthropometric analysis of shod and unshod feet.  The Foot. 2006;  16 188-191
• 21 Klein NL. When a good work shoe isn’t enough.  Occup Health Saf. 2003;  72 78-80
• 22 Krauss I, Grau S, Janssen P, Maiwald C, Mauch M, Horstmann T. Gender differences in foot shape. In: 7th Symposium on Footwear Biomechanics Cleveland, OH (USA); 2005
• 23 Krauss I, Valiant G, Horstmann T, Grau S. Female foot morphology – implications for last design. In: Proceedings 8th Footwear Biomechanics Symposium. Taipei, (Taiwan) 2007
• 24 Kunde S, Sterzing T, Milani TL. The influence of body position and physical activity on foot dimensions measured by a foot scanning system. In: Proceedings 8th Footwear Biomechanics Symposium. Taipei (Taiwan), 2007
• 25 Lazzarini KM, Troiano RN, Smith RC. Can running cause the appearance of marrow edema on MR images of the foot and ankle?.  Radiology. 1997;  202 540-542
• 26 Lundvall J, Mellander S, Westling H, White T. Fluid transfer between blood and tissues during exercise.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1972;  85 258-269
• 27 Manna I, Pradhan D, Ghosh S, Kar SK, Dhara P. A comparative study of foot dimension between adult male and female and evaluation of foot hazards due to using of footwear.  J Physiol Anthropol Appl Human Sci. 2001;  20 241-246
• 28 McWhorter JW, Landers MR, Wallmann HW, Altenburger P, Berry K, Tompkins D, Higbee C. The effects of loaded, unloaded, dynamic and static activities on foot volumetrics.  Phys Ther Sport. 2006;  7 81-86
• 29 McWhorter JW, Wallmann HW, Landers MR, Altenburger B, LaPorta-Krum L, Alternburger P. The effects of walking, running and shoe size on foot volumetrics.  Phys Ther Sport. 2003;  4 87-92
• 30 Meana M, Alegre LM, Elvira JL, Aguado X. Kinematics of ankle taping after a training session.  Int J Sports Med. 2008;  29 70-76
• 31 Mundermann A, Stefanyshyn DJ, Nigg BM. Relationship between footwear comfort of shoe inserts and anthropometric and sensory factors.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;  33 1939-1945
• 32 O’Donovan G, Blazevich AJ, Boreham C, Cooper AR, Crank H, Ekelund U, Fox KR, Gately P, Giles-Corti B, Gill JM, Hamer M, McDermott I, Murphy M, Mutrie N, Reilly JJ, Saxton JM, Stamatakis E. The ABC of Physical Activity for Health: a consensus statement from the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.  J Sports Sci. 2010;  28 573-591
• 33 Rosendal L, Langberg H, Skov-Jensen A, Kjaer M. Incidence of injury and physical performance adaptations during military training.  Clin J Sport Med. 2003;  13 157-163
• 34 Saltzman CL, Nawoczenski DA, Talbot KD. Measurement of the medial longitudinal arch.  Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1995;  76 45-49
• 35 Shiang TY, Lee SH, Lee SJ, Chu WC. Evaluating different footprint parameters as a predictor of arch height.  IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 1998;  17 62-66
• 36 Stick C, Stofen P, Witzleb E. On physiological edema in man's lower extremity.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1985;  54 442-449
• 37 Tsung BY, Zhang M, Fan YB, Boone DA. Quantitative comparison of plantar foot shapes under different weight-bearing conditions.  J Rehabil Res Dev. 2003;  40 517-526
• 38 Vrijens J. Entrenamiento razonado del deportista [Reasoned Sports Training].  Barcelona (Spain) INDE 2006; 
• 39 Werner RA, Gell N, Hartigan A, Wiggermann N, Keyserling WM. Risk factors for foot and ankle disorders among assembly plant workers.  Am J Ind Med. 2010;  53 1233-1239
• 40 Witana CP, Feng J, Goonetilleke RS. Dimensional differences for evaluating the quality of footwear fit.  Ergonomics. 2004;  47 1301-1317
• 41 Witana CP, Xiong S, Zhao J, Goonetilleke RS. Foot measurements from three-dimensional scans: a comparison and evaluation of different methods.  Int J Ind Ergon. 2006;  36 189-807
• 42 Wunderlich RE, Cavanagh PR. Gender differences in adult foot shape: implications for shoe design.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;  33 605-611
• 43 Xiong S, Goonetilleke RS, Zhao J, Li W, Witana CP. Foot deformations under different load-bearing conditions and their relationships to stature and body weight.  Anthropological Science. 2009;  117 77-88

Correspondence