Ankles, feet and toes

Clark Pic
MIT’s Planar Bipedal robot
5.9 m/s
MABEL 6.8 mph
Boston Dynamics
Here’s the gold…
• If the power is the limitation, then at max velocity, the drag force
cancels the thrust force, leaving no thrust to accelerate the system. If
the limitation is strength, then at maximum speed the loading on
some components equals its strength, and any increase in speed
would cause it to break. If the limitation is stability, then at the max
speed, some equilibrating mechanisms is at the stability limit, and at
a higher speed the system would tumble out of control.

• How Fast Can a Robot Run, Jeff Koechling

Understanding the effect of Touchdown distance and
ankle joint kinematics on sprint acceleration
performance through computer simulation, Bezodis,
N., Sports Biomechanics, (2015)
• “Beneficial effects of reducing ankle joint dorsiflexion during early
stance on early acceleration performance and identified the need for
coaches to increase ankle plantar flexor strength…”

• Slightly greater than 90 degrees

THE FOOT
• CONTACT- The stiffer the ankle complex is at contact, the
more energy can be transferred up and down the line

• For example, poor big toe function will dissipate 34% of the
energy that the foot/ankle complex absorbs which is about
75% of the total energy in a sprint
Tendon elastic energy in the human
ankle plantar-flexors and its role with
increased running speed
Adrian Lai, Anthony, Schache, J of Experimental
Biology, 2014

• MTU of gastroc and soleus was

responsible for 75% of positive work at
8 m/s
Muscles in Isometric state and MTU
active

White muscle fiber stripe fiber with mTU grey tendon black MTU
Muscle length changes with velocity

Top normalized length bottom contraction velocity shows as speed picks up- more MTU and
Tendon over muscle- big calf distance runner
• “…tendon elastic strain energy to provide a
greater relative contribution than muscle fiber
work to the positive work done by the Muscle
tendon Unit with increasing running speed. The
increased utilization of tendon elastic strain
energy with faster running was facilitated by
larger activation levels and a relatively isometric
muscle fiber behavior. Storage and recovery of
tendons elastic strain energy in the human
ankle plantar-flexors enhances muscle
performance and is likely integral to achieving
maximum sprinting speeds.”
Dynamic contribution analysis on the
propulsion mechanism of sprinters
during initial acceleration phase,
Koike, S., 33rd International conference
on Biomechanics in sport, 7/15

• Ankle dorsiflexion torque was the largest

contributor to the generation or whole body
propulsion
Ankle/foot
• “the push-off includes one major joint action- Ankle joint
extension. The greater the ankle joint extension , the greater
the driving force can be generated. ..The knee joint does 31
joules of work, the plantar flexors do 192 joules..”
• Explosive Running, Michael Yessis
Support leg joint contributions to
center of mass acceleration during 3
phases of a maximal sprint, von Lieres,
H. conference paper

• MTP (metatarsal phalangeal joint) and ankle showed

the largest contributions to vertical and horizontal
acceleration
When account for MPJ…
• Ankle- 35% higher
• Knee- 40% lower
• Hip- 9% higher
So why not popular?
Which logo do you want on
your shirt?
Parris video improvement
 Why we train
Isometrics and feet first

• Fatigue the tendon, forces more MTU

• Always blow them off if they are last
Human tendon adaption in response
to mechanical loading. A review
Sebastain Bohm, J of Sports Medicine (2015)

• Joint angles are important

• Type of contraction (ecc,iso or conc) not matter, but
high intensity important
• Plyometrics had little impact on tendon response
Lower extremity stiffness, Brazier, J.,
Journal of Strength and Conditioning,
10/17

• Iso training is the best for tendon change

Good foot/bad foot
ISO foot patterns
• ISO Position has a 15 degree carryover in each direction

• Knee straight
• Knee bent
• Big toe

• Hip position and placement of weight key

ISO foot patterns in exercises

• Split squat
• Toe off/with
The anatomical arrangement of muscle and
tendon enhances limb versatility and
locomotor performance, Wilson, A.,
Philosphical transcations of the Royal Society,
(2011)
• Tendon stiffness is tuned to optimize fiber shortening
velocity and minimize muscle activation
• To role of distal muscles may therefore not be to
directly perform work but to modulate the power
production of proximal muscles by functioning as a
tuneable series of elasticity or tendon-Cocontractions
Stumble reflex

• ”At the spinal cord level,

there is a coupling
between muscle and its
antagonist (and an
inhibition of one
another).” Both in a trip or
gait.
•
Stumbling corrective reaction: a phase-
dependent compensatory reaction during
locomotion.
Forssberg H., 1979
• Tripping cats
• Perturbations in the
stumble reflex cycle
cause ”brisker flexion”
• Making your body think it
is going to fall or trip will
trick it into tensing
• Body organization: The goal the body has is to organize its parts to do
the task that has been set out. In an athletic sense, this would
incorporate navigation, slack control with co-contractions and a
target. In order to challenge this process, we can make things happen
faster so body has to prepare faster or fall (managing reflexes). When
challenged the body will learn to stiffen faster to prepare for the
unexpected. This translates to the actual movement because the
body will find that it works better when it is stiffer and stable.
• Overspeed works because it forces a stiffer spring (which results in
higher Ground Reactionary Force) in a manner that the body accepts
and assilimilates due to stumble reflexes and motor learning skill
development.
Even cooler thought of the day…

• The peak forces that occur in a reflexive support during sprinting ,

such as stumble and crossed extensor, are greater than those that can
be created by “maximum voluntary contraction”.
• Kyrolainen, H. et al. Changes in muscle activity with increased running
speed” J. of Sports Sciences, 2005
Overspeed
• Bands
• Unweighted
• Tows
• Elevated surfaces
The Acute Kinematic Effects of Sprinting with
Motorized Assistance
Kenneth Clark, Micheal Cahill, Christian Korfist
• Theory: assisted sprinting could acutely enhance maximum velocity
via mechanisms normally observed with swifter running, and without
causing aberrant changes to the runner’s gait, this mode of training
may have potential to elicit long term improvements in top speed.
• -assisted max velocity would increase due to stride length rather than
rate
• - assisted run would have decreased contact times and increased
measure of vertical force but no appreciable changes in flight times,
swing times or contact lengths
Velocity Contact Flight Time Step Time Swing Time Step Rate Step Length Contact Flight Length Vertical
(m/s) Time (s) (s) (s) (s) (Hz) (m) Length (m) (m) Force (BW)

Unassisted 10.0 0.100 0.112 0.213 0.325 4.72 2.11 1.00 1.12 2.13
Mean

Unassisted 0.3 0.011 0.007 0.013 0.018 0.29 0.09 0.09 0.06 0.14
SD

Assisted 10.9* 0.095* 0.116† 0.211 0.328 4.75 2.30* 1.03* 1.26* 2.24*
Mean

Assisted SD 0.4 0.010 0.006 0.014 0.019 0.32 0.09 0.09 0.05 0.13

% 9.4% -5.2% 3.4% -0.6% 0.8% 0.7% 8.7% 3.7% 13.1% 4.8%
Difference

Effect Size 3.28 0.49 (small) 0.58 0.10 0.15 0.11 2.04 0.40 2.62 0.76
(interpretatio (v. large) (small) (trivial) (trivial) (trivial) (v. large) (small) (v. large) (moderate)
n)
•Faster max velocities were achieved due to
increased stride length and improved vertical
forces

• Shows minimal changes in contact times and

postural changes
• Mean vertical forces was larger when towed than
when unassisted
Conclusion
• Although step rate did not change, there were
small but significant decreases in contact time,
indicating increased vertical force and
decreased duty factor ratio during the assisted
conditions. This is consistent with normal
mechanics of increased max velocity,
Toe pop exercises
• Needs to be alternating or else no stumble reflex and becomes bag
hop exercises
Raise the ground with mats
mats
 Once energy is
absorbed,
it needs a direction
• Ankle rocker or its 8 ugly sisters give it
direction
Common cheat patterns
• Turn foot in
• Turn foot out
• Bounce over the top- bouncy gait
Collapse arch
Swing hips
Outside of foot
Throw body weight forward
Turn foot in
out
Bouncy
Spin out through big toe
Anterior tilt
Hips or knees swing wide
Throw weight forward
Exercises
• Wind shield wipers
• Single leg squats
• Shuffle walks
• Ankle jumps
• Overspeed/French Contrast
• Uphill Toe pops

• Add to all exercises in weight room

• (Squats, lunges)
 Once ankle rocks,
goes to forefoot rocker
Toe-off
The potential of toe flexor muscles to
enhance performance, Goldmann, J.
Journal of Sports Science, 2013
• Toe flexors transmit energy produced by
hip/leg extensors
• No impact on top end speed or vertical jumps
but big impact on horizontal jumps and
acceleration
If missing big toe…
Drill for toe off
• ISO toe holds
• Stair walks
• No arm runs
• Single leg cleans
• Single leg hops down a line with stick on back
Can you…..?
• Stand on 2 feet balanced on your foot tripod?
• Stand on one foot and stay balanced on your tripod?
• Ankle rocker squat and keep the tripod and shin splits the big toe
gap?
• Do it eyes closed?
• Do it again and come up on your big toe
• Bend your toe back?
• Fold your big toe
 To sum up
• The more functional the foot is, the more
power the brain will allow it to have

• Can squat 1000lbs, but if foot doesn’t function

properly, brain will protect it and limit the
power so you can get away from the grizzly
bear
The potential of toe flexor muscles to enhance
performance, Goldman, JP, J. of Sports Science,
10/12
• TFM contribute greatly to horizontal lean-forward situations
• Respond quickly to strength training- up to 60-70% in weeks
• Significant improvements in all horizontal movements
An estimation of power output and work done by
the human triceps surae muscle tendon complex
in jumping, Bobbert, M, et al. J of Biomechanics,
1986
• Tricep Surea MTU responsible for 53% of power the last 50ms of take
off