Characteristics of the footprint in Colombian athletes

Abstract

The principal objective of this research is to establish the influence of the practice of sports on the characteristics of the footprint in athletes who practice track and field, weightlifting, and swimming. The study was carried out on 280 athletes participating in the 18th National Sports Games: 50 weightlifters, 135 track and field athletes, and 95 swimmers. Each athlete was asked a standard set of questions, and a photopodogram was made of each athlete’s footprint. Hernandez Corvo’s method was applied to determine the type of foot; photoanalisi software was used to quantify the length and width; and the type of forefoot was determined by observation of footprint photographs. The results show a statistically significant difference among sports, for both the right and the left foot, with a high prevalence of high-arched foot in swimming and in track and field. In weightlifting, one finds a greater number of athletes with feet in the normal range. A high percentage of individuals were found whose feet showed asymmetry. There was a statistical difference in the type of forefoot, as well as in the length and width of the forefoot. It was concluded that there is a tendency toward the high-arched type of foot, regardless of the kind of sport practiced, although the prevalence of this type of foot was greater among track and field athletes and swimmers. A high percentage of asymmetry was found in the type, length, and width of feet.