Muscle Activities of the Muscles Surrounding the Ankle in Toe-grip Exercises

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to reveal the muscle activities of the muscles surrounding the ankle during toe-grip exercises. [Participants and Methods] The subjects were 14 healthy students. The toe-grip strength of one foot was measured three times in a chair-sitting posture using a toe grip strength meter. The muscular activities of the tibialis anterior (TA), lateral gastrocnemius (LG), abductor hallucis (AH), and flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) were measured during maximum toe-gripping and toe-grip exercises. [Results] Positive correlations were found between toe-grip strength and TA, AH and FDB muscular activities. In addition, the muscle activity during towel gathering was higher than in the other exercises. [Conclusion] We consider that exercise involving the muscles surrounding the ankle joint is effective for improving toe-grip strength.