Arch of the foot and postural balance in young judokas and peers.

Abstract

Twenty-nine male judocas and nontraining peers participated in this study. The arch of the foot (as Clarke's angular values) was measured under non-weight-bearing conditions in two-leg and one-leg stands. Postural balance was assessed by the Flamingo balance test. Judocas presented better static balance and higher arches of the foot. Significant differences in Clarke's angular values in a sitting and standing on two-leg position were found in both groups. After transition to a one-leg stand, the height of the arches of the foot in nontraining participants was still significantly decreased. Weight bearing did not affect Clarke's angular values in judokas. A correlation was found between the Flamingo test and Clarke's angle. Better balance was observed in adolescents with higher arch of the foot.