Do foot muscles assist with transitions to compliant surfaces?

We have previously reported that intrinsic foot muscle activation increases when running in cushioned running shoes, compared to barefoot running. A potential explanation for this finding is that the central nervous system increases muscle activation, altering foot stiffness to accommodate the added compliance of the running mid-sole. This presentation will provide a summary of recent experiments we have undertaken to determine how surface compliance influences the neuromechanical function of the foot.