The effect of kayak foot brace on forward stroke and stability of boat in the kayak sprinting

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of kayak foot brace on forward stroke and boat’s stability. Thirteen male elite kayak athletes participated in this study. They were divided two groups (Foot brace group; FB and no-brace group; NF). All Kayak athletes performed kayak sprinting on flat water condition. Stroke, duration time, knee joint ROM, trunk rotation ROM, and boat stability were measured and analyzed. The results showed that FB group’s stroke duration time was significantly shorter than NF group’s. Knee joint ROM, trunk rotation ROM were increased, and boat’s roll angle ROM was decrease when using foot brace. The result can be utilized to design trunk ROM increasing training program.