The effects of ankle loads on balance ability during one-leg stance

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ankle loads on balance ability and to suggest an appropriate load amount. [Subjects and Methods] The 31 healthy subjects randomly put 0%, 1%, and 2% body weight loads on their ankles using a strap, and limit of stability was measured using a Biorescue system. Limits of stability were measured for 10 seconds using their dominant leg in the left, right, forward, and backward directions. [Results] All values for limit of stability increased significantly with the 1% load compared with the 0% load during a one-leg stance. However, all values except for the backward limit of stability showed a significant decrease with the 2% load compared with the 1% load. There was a significant difference between the 0% and 2% loads. [Conclusion] Application of loads on the ankles can be used as a training method for improving balance ability, and to increase efficiency, it is appropriate to apply 1% of the subject’s body weight.