Isokinetic profile of dorsiflexors and plantar flexors of the ankle--a comparative study of élite versus untrained subjects.

Abstract

A comparative study was made of the isokinetic characteristics of the ankle (plantar-flexion and dorsiflexion) in young men. Six cyclists, seven gymnasts, 10 soccer players and 25 non-athletic young men were tested on the Cybex II+ dynamometer. Peak torque, torque acceleration energy (TAE), total work and average power were measured. Cyclists had slightly higher (5%) mean plantar flexion than the others, but this was not significant. The situation was reversed for dorsiflexion. Moreover, the average dorsiflexion per unit of plantar flexion was significantly higher in the gymnasts than it was in the cyclists for both torque and work. This suggests that at a specific level of plantar flexion, the gymnasts had stronger dorsiflexion compared with the cyclists and that in sports involving jumping and running, increased attention should be given to strengthening the antagonist muscle groups (dorsiflexors) in order to achieve greater agonist-toantagonist muscle balance thus preventing injury. The non-athletic subjects had substantially lower endurance capability in both flexors as measured by the endurance ratio. This implies that identifiable specialization in particular muscles results from training or participating in specialized sports. Keywords: Ankle plantar flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, isokinetics, muscle endurance, torque ratio There has been increasing interest in the foot and ankle of the competitive athlete during the 1980s and early 1990s. Much interest has focused on muscle injury management and rehabilitation15. This study does not look at the aetiology of injuries. Aetiological investigations would further the prevention of athletics injuries and at the same time suggest parameters upon which athletes could be selected and trained.In view of this we would like to provide baseline isokinetic measurements of plantar-flexion and dor-

Foot and ankle muscle strength in people with gout: A two-arm cross-sectional study

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Differences in plantarflexor function during a stretch-shortening cycle task due to limb preference

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