Effect of various foot wedge conditions on the electromyographic activity of lower extremity muscles during load lifting

The level of muscle activity can be decreased with optimized foot wedge condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different foot wedge conditions on the activity of selected lower extremity muscles during load lifting. Nine able‐bodied male subjects participated in this study. Electromyography activity of the vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), medialis gastrocnemius (MG), and soleus (SOL) muscles was recorded during dynamic load lifting using the squat technique in 5 conditions: i) non‐wedge (NW), ii) 1 cm heel height increasing (PW1), iii) 3 cm heel height increasing (PW3), iv) 1 cm in front of the feet (AW1), and v) 1 cm inside the feet (MW1). The results showed that the VM activity decreases in the MW1 compared to other conditions and significantly compared to the PW1 and PW3 conditions (p