2017, Volume 9, Issue 4
Effects of court-specific and minimalist footwear on patellar tendon loading during a maximal change of direction task
Jonathan Sinclair1, Paul John Taylor2
1Centre for Applied Sport & Exercise Sciences, University of Central Lancashire
2School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire
Author for correspondence: Jonathan Sinclair; Centre for Applied Sport & Exercise Sciences, University of Central Lancashire; email: jksinclair[at]uclan.ac.uk
Full text
Abstract
The aim of the current investigation was to examine the effects of court shoes, minimalist, energy return and athletic footwear on the loads experienced by the patellar tendon during a maximal change of direction task.
Ten male participants performed maximal change of direction movements in court shoes, minimalist, energy return and athletic footwear. Lower limb kinematics were collected using an 8-camera motion capture system; ground reaction forces were quantified using an embedded force platform. Patellar tendon kinetics were examined via a musculoskeletal modelling approach, and the frictional properties of the footwear were examined using ground reaction force information.
The results showed that the rate at which the tendon was loaded was significantly larger in minimalist footwear (62.54BW/s) in relation to court (30.41BW/s), energy return (47.17BW/s) and athletic footwear (37.40BW/s). In addition, the coefficient of friction and rotational friction moment were found to be significantly lower in minimalist footwear (0.53 & 15.63Nm) in relation to court (0.57 & 25.04Nm), energy return (0.60 & 18.84Nm) and athletic footwear (0.62 & 19.74Nm).
Therefore, the findings from the current investigation indicate that minimalist footwear may place athletes who undertake court-based activities at increased risk from patellar tendinopathy.
Key words: footwear, court sports, patellar tendon, change of direction