[Structural and functional changes of the foot after cyclic centrifugal physical loads in sports runners]

Foot structural and functional peculiarities after cyclic centrifugal physical loads in sports runners were studied. The work demonstrates the results of computer morphometry of 120 athlete runners (50 boys and 70 girls) aged 15-17 years--the students of Volgograd School of Olympic Reserve and Volgograd State Academy of Physical Education. Cyclic centrifugal loads of shock-type (long run on an inclined plane) resulted in significant reduction of the foot arch hight. In female runners, the reduction was found mainly in the longitudinal foot arch, while in male runners it was detected in transverse foot arch. Two basic types of foot arch reaction to prolonged cyclic loads were detected. This allowed us, for the first time, to divide the static flat-footedness into two major categpries: compensated, or dynamic, and true. In compensated static flat-footedness, the structural and functional foot parameters returned to their initial levels after the rehabilitation, while in true flat-footedness the complex rehabilitation measures could not restore the initial morpho-functional parameters: foot arches remained reduced.