FUNCTIONAL EVALUATION SECTION   

Medicina dello Sport 2002 December;55(4):269-78

Copyright © 2002 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Influence of physical activity on plantar pressures and on ground projection of the body barycentre

Gravante C. ¹, Ruso G. ¹, Pomara F. ¹, Rubino G. ¹, Ridola C. ², Amato G. ¹

¹ Sezione di Fisiologia Umana, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo; ² Sezione di Anatomia Umana, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo

We studied the earth projection of the body barycentre (CoG) and the pressure centre (CoP), the plantar surfaces and loads of 38 women (18 footballers, mean age ± SD: 23.89±5.66 years, range 18-38 years; 20 sedentaries, mean age ± SD: 22.60±4.77 years, range 18-38 years), and 33 men (14 marathoners, age mean ± SD: 32.07±6.93 years, range 21-43 years; 19 sedentary men, age mean ± SD: 27.37±6.66 years, range 21-42 years).
The plantar surfaces of footballers was greater than sedentaries (p<0.05), because of a greater forefeet surface (p<0.001). The plantar surfaces of marathoners was greater than sedentary subjects (p<0.005), because of a greater forefeet and rear feet surface (p<0.005, respectively).
Footballers show the forefoot per cent loads significantly higher than sedentaries (p<0.0001), such as marathoners than sedentary subjects (p<0.05). The pressure peak M is significantly lower in active subjects than in sedentary subjects, men (p<0.005) and women (p<0.0001), such as the plantar mean pressure (p<0.01 between men, p<0.05 between women). The CoP, as well CoG, is significantly forward in footballers (p<0.0005) and in marathoners (p<0.005) than in control groups. We suppose that a regular physical activity can influence the plantar loads and, consequently, the earth projection of the body barycentre.