Relationship Between Toe Muscular Strength and the Ability to Change Direction in Athletes

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between toe muscular strength and the ability to change direction in athletes. Seventeen collegiate American-football players participated in the study (age 19.9 ± 0.9 years, competition experience 7.3 ± 1.7 years). Two types of measurements were performed to evaluate toe muscular strength: toe flexor strength with the metatarsophalangeal joint in the planter flexed position and toe-pushing force with the metatarsophalangeal joint in the dorsiflexed position. The ability to change direction was evaluated using the pro-agility and 3-cone tests and change of direction deficits, calculated by subtracting the sprint times from the pro-agility and 3-cone times. There were significant correlations between toe-pushing force and the results of the pro-agility and 3-cone tests, but no significant correlations between toe flexor strength and the pro-agility and 3-cone tests. Neither toe-pushing force nor toe flexor strength was significantly correlated with the sprint test results. Furthermore, toe-pushing force was significantly correlated with the 3-cone test deficit, but toe flexor strength was not. The ability to change direction is more strongly affected by toe muscular strength (measured as toe-pushing force) with the metatarsophalangeal joint in the dorsiflexed angle than by toe muscular strength (measured as toe flexor strength) with the metatarsophalangeal joint in the plantar flexed angle. Our results suggest that athletes can improve their ability to change direction with toe muscular strength training with the metatarsophalangeal joint in the dorsiflexed position.