The Influence of Plantar Short Foot Muscle Exercises on Foot Posture and Fundamental Movement Patterns in Long-Distance Runners, a Non-Randomized, Non-Blinded Clinical Trial

Iwona Sulowska; Łukasz Oleksy; Anna Mika; Dorota Bylina; Jarosław Sołtan

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0157917

The Influence of Plantar Short Foot Muscle Exercises on Foot Posture and Fundamental Movement Patterns in Long-Distance Runners, a Non-Randomized, Non-Blinded Clinical Trial

PLoS One. 2016 Jun 23;11(6):e0157917. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157917. eCollection 2016.

Authors

Iwona Sulowska¹, Łukasz Oleksy^{1

2}, Anna Mika¹, Dorota Bylina³, Jarosław Sołtan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Rehabilitation, University of Physical Education in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
² Zen Machines Poland, Łańcut, Poland.
³ Department of Biology and Anatomy, The Josef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Faculty of Physical Education in Biala Podlaska, Biala Podlaska, Poland.
⁴ Foreign Languages Department, The Josef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Faculty of Physical Education in Biala Podlaska, Biala Podlaska, Poland.

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of two kinds of plantar short foot muscles exercise on foot posture and fundamental movement patterns in long-distance runners.

Design: A parallel group non-blinded trial with 6-week follow-up.

Methods: Twenty five long-distance runners aged 22-35 years. They were divided into two groups. In group 1 (n = 13) subjects performed the exercise "Vele's Forward Lean" and "Reverse Tandem Gait" and in Group 2 (n = 12) the "Short Foot Exercise." The runners performed the exercises daily for 6 weeks. The Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) and The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) tests were performed twice: at baseline and after 6 weeks of the exercise.

Results: A significant improvement was observed in FPI -6 (talar head palpation in Group 1, and inversion/eversion of the calcaneus in Group 2). Also in Group 1 a significant improvement was noted in FMS tests: deep squat, active straight leg raise and in total score.

Conclusions: Short foot muscles strengthening exercises have beneficial effect on functional movement patterns and on foot posture, therefore they should be included as a part of daily training program of runners.

Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615001200572.

Publication types

Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

Adult
Athletes*
Exercise*
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Foot / physiology*
Humans
Male
Muscle, Skeletal / physiology*
Posture*
Running*
Young Adult

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work. Łukasz Oleksy is employed by Zen Machines Poland. Zen Machines Poland is his own company which provided support in the form of salary for him, but not for this study. Zen Machines Poland did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific role of this author is articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.