Effects of high and low cut on Achilles tendon kinetics during basketball specific movements

Abstract

The aim of the current investigation was to examine the influence of high and low-cut specific basketball footwear in relation to minimalist and conventional athletic footwear on the loads experienced by the Achilles tendon during basketball specific movements. Ten males performed run and 45˚ cut movements whilst wearing low-cut, high-cut, minimalist and conventional athletic footwear. Achilles tendon forces were calculated using Opensim software allowing the magnitudinal and temporal aspects of the Achilles tendon force to be quantified. Differences in Achilles tendon load parameters were examined using 4 (footwear) x 2 (movement) repeated measures ANOVA. The results show that a main effect was evident for peak Achilles tendon force, which was significantly larger in the minimalist (run = 5.74 & cut = 5.85 BW) and high-cut (run = 6.63 & cut = 6.01 BW) footwear in relation to the low-cut (run = 5.79 & cut = 5.47 BW) and conventional (run = 5.66 & cut = 5.34 BW) conditions. In addition a main effect was also evident for Achilles tendon load rate, which was significantly larger in the minimalist (run = 48.84 & cut = 43.98 BW/s) and high-cut (run = 54.31 & cut = 46.51 BW/s) footwear in relation to the low-cut (run = 43.15 & cut = 31.57 BW/s) and conventional (run = 44.74 & cut = 31.15 BW/s) conditions. The current investigation indicates that minimalist and high-cut footwear may place basketballers at increased risk for Achilles tendon pathology as a function of their training/ competition. Furthermore, it appears that for basketballers who may be susceptible to Achilles tendinopathy that low-cut and conventional conditions are most appropriate.