Kata and kumite intensive training in female international karate-kas adjusts pedobarographic profiles of gait

Background: Karate consists of two somewhat different disciplines, kata, and kumite; each one may have a different effect on foot structure and dynamics in the longterm.  Aim: As pedobarography is indicative of foot function, the present study aimed to compare pedobarographic profile during gait between young females participating in international kata and kumite competitions and non-karate-ka females.Materials and Methods: Displacement and velocity of the center of pressure, and peak pressure in ten regions of the foot of 10 kata-ka, 12 kumite-ka, and 16 non-karate-ka were measured with a pressure platform during barefoot walking.Results: Peak pressure in the lateral-heel and lateral-toes of kata-ka and kumite-ka was significantly lower than non-karate-ka (P 0.05). Furthermore, peak pressure in the kata-ka midfoot was lower than non-karate-ka (P=0.01 in medial-foot, P=0.01 in lateral-midfoot). In the anteroposterior direction, center of pressure velocity and displacement were significantly different among the three groups (P 0.05).Conclusion: It can be concluded that the practice of repeated intensive karate exercises has a demonstrable effect on foot progression, dynamic loading velocity, and plantar load distribution during gait. Moreover, practicing kata probably has a greater impact on the measured parameters.