Effects Of Soccer Training On Foot Plantar Muscles And Fascia In Teenagers

Teenagers are experiencing quick foot growth, which is a critical stage to their foot health and function. Teenage soccer players have to extensively recruit their feet in daily high-intensity soccer training. It remains unknown how their feet adapt to the soccer training. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate effects and sex differences of long-term soccer training on foot plantar muscles and fascia in teenagers. METHOD: 22 soccer players (5 M/17F) and 20 normal teenagers (11 M/9F) were respectively recruited form local football club and primary school. All were 12 years old, and soccer players received routine football training for at least 2 years in the club. Shape (thickness and cross-sectional area (CSA)) of 3 foot intrinsic muscles (abductor hallucis (ABH), flexor digitorum breve (FDB) and quadratus plantar (QP)) and thickness of plantar fascia (rear, mid, front) were measured using Mindray MX7 ultrasound image system. All data were normalized using body mass index to minimize effects of mass and stature. RESULT: Significant sex and group interactions were detected in plantar fascia (mid and front), thickness of ABH and CSA of QP (Table 1). Soccer players showed thicker plantar fascia, ABH and FDB; and male presented thicker plantar fascia. Specifically, for the male, soccer players showed thicker plantar fascia (rear), ABH and QP than normal teenagers; and for the soccer players, male had thicker plantar fascia and ABH and greater CSA of QP than female (All p < 0.05). Such differences were not detected in female teenagers. CONCLUSION: Teenage soccer players regulated the shape of foot plantar muscles and fascia to adapt to soccer training, and males demonstrated greater changes than females. Table 1. - Comparison of foot plantar muscles and fascia between soccer players and normal teenagers (unit: percentage of body mass index). Soccer Players Normal Teenagers Two-way ANOVA Male Female Male Female Group Sex Group×Sex Plantar fascia Rear 1.88 ± 0.28*# 1.43 ± 0.27 1.43 ± 0.34 1.41 ± 0.39 0.033 0.035 0.05 Mid 1.34 ± 0.19# 1.03 ± 0.16 1.08 ± 0.24 1.14 ± 0.28 0.30 0.09 0.017 Front 0.93 ± 0.25# 0.68 ± 0.11 0.74 ± 0.17 0.78 ± 0.19 0.46 0.05 0.016 Abductor hallucis Thickness 6.59 ± 0.91*# 5.52 ± 0.85 5.17 ± 0.78 5.34 ± 1.00 0.010 0.13 0.042 CSA 11.83 ± 2.80 10.15 ± 1.8 10.09 ± 1.8 9.70 ± 2.10 0.11 0.14 0.35 Flexor digitorum breve Thickness 5.38 ± 1.00 4.59 ± 0.74 4.34 ± 0.68 4.30 ± 0.61 0.011 0.10 0.14 CSA 9.28 ± 1.72 8.20 ± 1.46 8.84 ± 1.98 7.85 ± 1.90 0.51 0.09 0.94 Quadratus plantar Thickness 3.96 ± 1.22* 3.56 ± 0.88 3.50 ± 0.94 3.55 ± 0.77 0.44 0.56 0.47 CSA 6.97 ± 1.47# 5.41 ± 1.35 5.28 ± 1.61 5.87 ± 1.12 0.20 0.32 0.029