ABSTRACT
Lunging is one of the most important and frequent movements in badminton, tennis, squash and fencing. In badminton, lunging is essential and frequently performed, accounting for approximately 15 per cent of all badminton movements in a competitive game (Kuntze et al., 2010). General injuries in badminton have focused mainly on lower extremity (Fahlström et al., 2002a). Jørgensen and Winge (1990) reported that 58 per cent of badminton injuries occurred in lower extremities, while 31 per cent on upper extremities, and 11 per cent on the back. Of these injuries, 74 per cent are injuries that are overused, 23 per cent are various sprains, 1.5 per cent are bone fracture and 1.5 per cent are contusion (Jørgensen and Winge, 1990). The foot experiences a great amount of stress, which may cause fatigue and painful conditions. It has been reported that injuries to the lower extremities account for 58 per cent of all injuries, including pain in the achilles tendon during badminton games (Boesen et al., 2006). Players exhibited ground reaction forces of about 2.5 times body weight (BW) during the impact phase of lunging (Kuntze et al., 2010). This repetitive and high magnitude of loading was suggested to be one mechanical risk factor of injuries and painful symptoms in the lower extremities, especially the patellar tendon or other knee joint problems (Boesen et al., 2006; Fahlström et al., 2002a, 2002b; Peers and Lysens, 2005).
