Is obesity associated with foot structure and the strength of muscles that move the ankle in adult men?

Background and objective: Obesity is associated with several internal medicine diseases and also impacts the musculoskeletal system, particularly in the foot and ankle. Obesity potentially affects the foot structure and the strength of the muscles responsible for moving the ankle. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between obesity, foot structure and the strength of the muscles which move the ankle in adult men. Material and methods: 66 adult men were divided into a non-obese group (n = 19), an overweight group (n = 35) and an obese group (n = 12), based on each participant’s body mass index (BMI). Foot structure was measured using a three-dimensional foot scanner and the strength of the muscles that move the ankle was assessed with a dynamometer. Results: The study demonstrated the height, width and girth indicators of the foot to be greater among those in the overweight and obese groups than participants in the non-obese group (p < 0.05) and positive relationships were discovered between BMI and instep height, forefoot and rearfoot width and forefoot and instep girth (r = 0.223–0.423, p < 0.05). The overweight and obese men exhibited lower strength in the muscles that move the ankle (peak torque per body weight) than the non-obese men (p < 0.05) and correlation analysis proved BMI to be positively associated with dorsiflexion peak torque at 30 and 120 ∘/s angular velocity (r = 0.385 and 0.310, p < 0.05) and negatively associated with plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, eversion and inversion peak torque per body weight at 30 ∘/s and 120 ∘/s angular velocity (r = –0.244–0.462, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the study show that the height, width, and girth of the foot are greater and the strength of the muscles responsible for moving the ankle is lower in overweight and obese men.