The correlation between toe flexor strength and performance-based measures of physical fitness in the elderly.
Masataka Suwa
PMID 33519072WHAT IT FOUND
Toe strength was linked to leg, grip, and balance performance in older men and women.
It was also linked to trunk flexibility in men but not women.
Key findings
01Toe flexor strength was positively correlated with knee extensor strength, handgrip strength, and functional reach in both older men and women.
02Toe flexor strength was negatively correlated with age in both older men and women.
03Toe flexor strength was correlated with sit-and-reach in men but not in women.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study measured associations at one time point, so it cannot show that toe strength causes, predicts, or improves later fitness or falls. Participants were recruited from public events, so they may not represent frailer or less active older adults. The paper did not measure fall outcomes, disability, or clinical diagnoses despite discussing falls. The correlations were adjusted only for age and body weight, so other factors may explain the relationships. The reason sit-and-reach correlated with toe strength in men but not women is not explained.
Declared interests
The paper reports no funding and no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that stronger toes improve fitness or reduce falls. The study only measured correlations between toe strength and other fitness tests at one time, and it did not test toe strengthening or fall outcomes.