Does the modified short foot exercise (msfe) improve dynamic balance control in adolescent taekwondo athletes?

Taekwondo is a sport depending on foot techniques, the performances are not only influenced by the strength of lower limb, but also the ability in neuromuscular control of bilateral lower extremities. A good single-leg balance emphasizes the importance of the dynamic balance ability to a Taekwondo athlete. The Novel Foot Plantar Dynamometer (NFPD) device is a custom-made instrument in our laboratory for the assessment and training of intrinsic foot muscles (IFMs), such as maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and force calculation. This study measured the spatial variables of centre of pressure (CoP) and electromyography (EMG) activity of abductor hallucis (AbdH) before and after the exercise intervention. A four-week MSFE training for the Taekwondo athletes may improve the dynamic balance control in the hooking kick, providing the better control in foot and ankle for forward reaching.