Effects of Sports Flooring on Peak Ground Reaction Forces During Bilateral Drop Landings

With continued advancement in flooring technology, modular sports flooring tiles have emerged as a potential alternative flooring solution for sports performance. However, there is limited empirical evidence regarding their effects on ground reaction forces in landing tasks (GRFs). Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of flooring surface on peak GRFs during bilateral drop landings. Eighteen physically active adults (10 males, 8 females) completed three bilateral drop landings from a 50 cm height across each of three flooring types: modular sport tiles, athletic track, and bare force plates, measuring contacts from both the left and right limb. GRFs were captured using two in-ground force platforms, normalised to body mass, and then analysed using a linear mixed-effects model with post-hoc comparisons where significant interactions were recorded. Peak anterior GRFs were significantly lower in the modular tiles compared with athletic sports track and bare metal surfaces (p < 0.001, η2p ≥ 0.430). Additionally, anterior (p = 0.048, η2p = 0.040), lateral (p < 0.001, η2p = 0.280), and vertical (p = 0.001, η2p = 0.100) GRFs were significantly greater in the right limb compared with the left limb within each flooring surface condition. Future research should investigate sport-specific movement patterns and long-term adaptations associated with training on modular surfaces to assess their potential role in enhancing performance and mitigating injuries.