The Effect of Acute Functional Fatigue on Plantar Pressure Distribution during Walking in Professional Volleyball Players.

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of acute fatigue on the plantar pressure distribution in professional young male volleyball players. A total of 38 young male volleyball players (aged 16-20 years) volunteered for this study and were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group (n=20) who performed the functional fatigue protocol, and the control group (n=18) who did not perform the fatigue protocol. The fatigue protocol in this study was of a functional and volleyball-specific nature, consisting of six repetitive cycles of movements until fatigue was reached. Plantar pressure distribution was measured using a foot scanner before and after the application of functional fatigue during walking task. One-way ANOVA was used to investigate between-group differences, and repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the fatigue effect within each group. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 21) at a significance level of p le; 0.05. The results showed that after fatigue, between-group differences of plantar pressure distribution increased in both feet. Significant differences between the two groups were observed in the force values of the left small toe, first, second, and third metatarsals, midfoot, and heel medial of the right foot (p lt; 0.05). The results indicated that fatigue leads to an increase in maximum distributed force. These factors can potentially increase the risk of injury in individuals.