IS PASSIVE PLANTAR FLEXION TORQUE DETERMINANT OF LOWER LIMB STIFFNESS?

Abstract

It has been supposed that leg stiffness affect repeated jump performance, such as hopping. Previous study indicated that ankle joint stiffness is important in leg stiffness (Arampatzis et al. 2001). Furthermore, it was demonstrated that Achilles tendon properties could contribute to the total mechanical work during hopping (Lichtwark and Wilson 2005). On the other hand, it is known that passive plantar flexion torque (PT) is determined by tendon properties (Kawakami et al. 2008). However, no study has been focused on the effect of PT on leg stiffness in hopping. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between passive plantar flexion torque and leg stiffness.