2024 : 10 : 10
Behnam Gholami Borujeni

Behnam Gholami Borujeni

Academic rank: Assistant Professor
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7404-1556
Education: PhD.
ScopusId: 57211074201
HIndex: 0/00
Faculty: Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences
Address: University of Mazandaran
Phone: 011-35303000

Research

Title
Effects of Various Foot Wedges on Thigh Muscle Activity during Squatting in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Type
JournalPaper
Keywords
foot position; insole; electromyography; lower limb; squat
Year
2024
Journal Applied Sciences
DOI
Researchers Mohammadhossein Ghasemi ، Behnam Gholami Borujeni ، Kristín Briem

Abstract

Squatting is a common movement in daily activities, athletic training, rehabilitation programs, and even in the workplace. Identifying the effects of various foot wedges on thigh muscle activity during squatting can help specialists in terms of rehabilitation, injury prevention, physical preparation, and occupational optimization. In this study, systematic literature searches in six electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus) were conducted up to December 2023. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria (total n = 269 subjects). The results showed that posterior wedges significantly increased the overall activity of thigh muscles (p < 0.001, 12 studies). No significant change was observed for anterior (p = 0.730, six studies), medial (p = 0.169; three studies), and lateral wedges (p = 0.989, two studies). Compared with a non-wedge condition, the activity of the vastus medialis (p < 0.001, eight studies) was significantly higher using a posterior wedge during squatting, as was the activity of the rectus femoris (p = 0.021, five studies) using the anterior wedge. It seems that thigh muscle activation is modifiable with a change in footwear design, which may be useful during sports training, rehabilitation, or daily work routines.