Muscular control of the ankle in running

The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the muscle firing patterns of the muscles controlling the ankle during running. Fine-wire electrodes monitored the activity of the gastrocnemius, soleus, peroneus brevis, tibialis posterior, and tibialis anterior muscles during 3 paces of running. High-speed film was used to synchronize the electromyographic data with the phases of running. The subjects were 15 recreational and competitive runners who were injury-free. There were 3 significant findings. First, the firing patterns of all of the posterior muscles demonstrated peak activity during midstance phase. Thus, these muscles were contracting in an eccentric fashion to control ankle dorsiflexion as the center of gravity passed over the ankle. Second, the tibialis anterior muscle fired above the fatigue threshold for 85% of the time. This may account for the high number of fatigue-related injuries to the tibialis anterior muscle seen in runners. Third, there was a significant increase of activity in the peroneus brevis muscle as the pace increased. This indicates the importance of training this muscle when pace is increased. Using this information, a sport-specific effective and efficient exercise program for runners can be developed.