Effectiveness of Using a Digital Wearable Plantar Pressure Device to Detect Muscle Fatigue: Within-Subject, Repeated Measures Experimental Design.

Abstract

Background: Muscle fatigue, characterized by reduced force generation during repetitive contractions, impacts older adults doing daily activities and athletes during sports activities. While various sensors detect muscle fatigue via muscle activity, biochemical markers, and kinematic parameters, a real-time wearable solution with high usability remains limited. Plantar pressure monitoring detects muscle fatigue through foot loading changes, seamlessly integrating into footwear to improve the usability and compliance for home-based monitoring.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of muscle fatigue on plantar pressure measurements using a self-developed wearable plantar pressure system.

Methods: Twelve healthy participants completed a 5-minute calf muscle fatigue protocol. The plantar pressures and surface electromyography (sEMG) activity of the gastrocnemius muscles were recorded before and after exercise. The plantar pressures at 6 regions and the median frequency (MDF) of sEMG were analyzed to quantify fatigue.

Results: The self-developed foot pressure system showed a significant decrease in plantar pressure peak values at the heel of the left (P=.003) and right feet (P=.001) and at the lateral toe of the left (P=.001) and right feet (P=.026). A significant increase was observed at the metatarsal head of both the left foot (P=.001) and the right foot (P=.017). The MDF of sEMG signals significantly decreased in the left (P=.001) and right gastrocnemius (P<.001).

Conclusions: Plantar pressure changes and sEMG signals effectively detect gastrocnemius muscle fatigue using the proposed wearable system, supporting the development of a wearable solution for detecting muscle fatigue suitable for home-use.