| Summary: | <p>Lower extremity muscle activity during balance can be affected by footwear characteristics. A dearth in literature remains regarding minimalist footwear in combination with a military-type workload on muscle activation during balance. The purpose of the study was to assess lower extremity muscular activity during balance tasks before and after a military workload, in two military footwear [standard tactical (STD), minimalist (MIN)]. Twenty-four trained males (18-35 years) participated, following a repeated measures counter balanced footwear assignment. Participants performed maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and balance assessments before and after a military treadmill workload. Muscle activity was collected on tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, tibialis posterior, and peroneus-longus. A repeated measures 2x2 [2(Boot #1 x Boot #2) x 2(Pre-test x Post-test)] RM ANOVA with alpha set at 0.05. Significant differences occurred in mean, root-mean square, and peak muscle activities and in %MVC and co-contraction index, that were attributed to footwear design and physiological workload.</p>
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