Ankle disk training influences reaction times of selected muscles in a simulated ankle sprain

Ankle disk training has been used as an exercise in sports medicine clinics to help protect against ankle sprains. This study investigated the effects of ankle disk training on the contraction pattern of the anterior tibialis, posterior tibialis, peroneus longus, and flexor digitorum longus muscles in a simulated ankle sprain. Twenty adults were recruited and divided into a control group and an experimental group. A platform with a trapdoor was used to simulate a lateral ankle sprain. Electromyographic data were recorded from each subject in pretraining and posttraining tests. The experimental group underwent ankle disk training for 8 weeks between the pretraining and posttraining tests. In the pretraining test, the four muscles started to contract simultaneously; in the posttraining test, the contractions of the anterior and posterior tibialis muscles were delayed. This delay favors the correction of excessive ankle inversion. This study examined the effects of one form of proprioceptive training on muscle reaction times, and its results may explain why such training can help protect against ankle sprains.