Laterality of toe grip strength in Kendo players.
Satoshi Inaba, Ikuhiro Morikita
PMID 32982048WHAT IT FOUND
Kendo players had significantly stronger toe grip in their front foot compared to their rear foot.
This asymmetry matches the sport's specific stance and striking mechanics. Clinicians should expect this pattern in Kendo athletes rather than assuming equal strength.
Key findings
01All participants used the right foot as the front foot.
02Front foot toe grip strength relative to body weight was significantly higher than rear foot.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 15 participants, all male college athletes. All participants used the right foot as the front foot, so left-footed stance patterns were not examined. The cross-sectional design cannot prove that Kendo training caused the strength difference, only that it exists in these players.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest and received no funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that toe grip asymmetry is pathological in athletes who use a dominant stance leg. This study shows the asymmetry is a specific adaptation to the Kendo front-foot role.