Debunking common misconceptions around training and testing the foot and ankle with Romain Tourillon

In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Rob speaks to Romain Tourillon who discusses the misconceptions around general understanding, testing and training of the foot and ankle sports performance and rehabilitation.

Romain shares insights from his PhD research, emphasizing the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, the significance of holistic evaluation methods, and the need for dynamic training protocols. He highlights that although isometric training has a big place in the training of the foot and ankle, its not the only tool in the toolbox.

He dives into the different testing protocols which target the various different areas of the foot based on its function. Romain goes into detail on soleus, tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior testing, citing his work with the Royal Ballet as an example of how these protocols can improve an organisations testing battery.

Main talking points:

• Intrinsic muscles are often overemphasized in training

• Extrinsic muscles play a larger role in force production

• Dynamic contractions, not just isometrics are necessary for building calf strength

• Isometric training alone is insufficient for optimal performance

• The foot and ankle are frequently underloaded in training regimens

• How to assess the soleus, tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior