Research Article Effects of Cooling on Ankle Muscle Strength, Electromyography, and Gait Ground Reaction Forces

Copyright © 2014 Amitava Halder et al.This is an open access article distributed under theCreative CommonsAttribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The effects of cooling on neuromuscular function and performance during gait are not fully examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of local cooling for 20min in cold water at 10∘C in a climate chamber also at 10∘C onmaximal isometric force and electromyographic (EMG) activity of the lower legmuscles. Gait ground reaction forces (GRFs)were also assessed. Sixteen healthy university students participated in thewithin subject design experimental study. Isometric forces of the tibialis anterior (TA) and the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) were measured using a handheld dynamometer and the EMG was recorded using surface electrodes. Ground reaction forces during gait and the required coefficient of friction (RCOF) were recorded using a force plate. There was a significantly reduced isometric maximum force in the TAmuscle