Using Wearable Inertial Sensors to Monitor Effectiveness of Different Types of Customized Orthoses during CrossFit® Training.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Dynamic balance plays a key role in high-impact sports, such as CrossFit, where athletes are required to maintain balance in various weightlifting exercises. The loss of balance in these sport-specific movements may not only affect athlete performance, but also increase the risk of injuries.

OBJECTIVES:

The aim of the study is to achieve greater insight into the balance and athlete position during the CrossFit training by means of inertial sensors, with a particular focus on the role of different custom foot orthoses (CFOs) in order to detect correlations with the role of the cavus foot.

METHODS:

A total of 42 CrossFit® athletes, aged 25 to 42 years, were enrolled in this study. One-way ANOVA tests with post-hoc analysis of variance were used to compare foot posture groups and effects of different types of customized foot orthoses.

RESULTS:

When comparing the effects of CFOs with the respective balance basal level during the pistol squat exercise, we observed a significant (p = 0.0001) decrease in the sway area, antero-posterior displacement (APD) and medio-lateral displacement (MLD) compared to the basal using both types of CFOs.

CONCLUSION:

No significant positive effects of CFOs were observed in some static tests. On the contrary, positive effects of CFOs and, in particular, postural insoles, are relevant to dynamic balance.

• Authors: Lorenzo Brognara, Antonio Mazzotti, Federica Rossi, Francesca Lamia, Elena Artioli, Cesare Faldini, Francesco Traina
• Journal: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) (Sensors (Basel)) Vol. 23 Issue 3 (Feb 02 2023) ISSN: 1424-8220 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 36772674 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Humans
• Postural Balance
• Foot Orthoses
• Foot
• Movement
• Wearable Electronic Devices