Effects of structural types of the foot on core stability in university athletes

Abstract

This study assessed the impact of different types of medial foot arch on postural stability and core center of gravity muscle activity among collegiate athletes. Methods: The study sample included 103 university-level athletes across various sports (soccer, rugby, basketball, volleyball, field tennis, table tennis, karate, and cheerleading) from the College of Magdalena (Colombia) who exhibited distinct types of medial foot arch: 32 high, 35 low, and 36 neutral arches. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was employed to assess conduction velocity, magnitude values, latency, and fatigue in focal muscles including the spinal erector (SE), internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), and rectus abdominis (AR), while measurements of static and dynamic postural control were also considered. Post hoc analysis was performed with Bonferroni correction for all electromyographically measured muscle groups, as well as for measurements of static and dynamic postural stability. Pearson’s or Spearman’s correlation tests were used to compare the different types of feet. Results: There were no substantial differences observed between the distinct types of feet in terms of focal muscle activity, static stability, or dynamics. Even though the mean values indicated higher muscle activity and stability among those with high foot arches and lower values among those with low arches compared to the neutral foot type, this observed difference was deemed statistically insignificant. We also observed a positive correlation between internal oblique muscle activity and the average power of dynamic postural stability, which remained consistent across all foot types. Our findings indicate that static instability is directly correlated with dynamic instability in the anteroposterior direction, while a clear inverse relationship was established in the lateral direction upon examining the variable correlations. Conclusions: The presence of high or low foot arches did not significantly impact the activity of the muscles responsible for maintaining the body’s center of gravity or postural stability among university-level athletes. This suggests the existence of neuromuscular compensation mechanisms that attempt to restore balance and compensate for any changes in postural stability caused by varying foot types. Through targeted training that emphasizes activation of the internal oblique muscle, athletes may see improved postural stability. Our findings indicate that static stabilization exercises can also prove beneficial in improving dynamic stability in the anteroposterior plane, while a more dynamic approach may be required to improve dynamic stability in the lateral plane.