Kaalvoet-navorsingsprojek lok groot belangstelling : 2015-10-14
In samewerking met die Universiteit van Hamburg is die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Departement Sportwetenskap besig met ‘n kaalvoet-navorsingsprojek.
Die hipotese van die projek is dat Suid-Afrikaanse kinders wat gewoonte kaalvoet-kinders is, se voete anders is as hul Europese eweknieë waar dit nie deel van hul kultuur is om kaalvoet te loop nie, aldus Dr Ranel Venter van die US.
“Dieselfde toetse word by Hamburg en by ons gebruik. Die groep studente wat die navorsoing by die US doen, is ‘n Phd-student, verskeie M-studente, agt Honeurs-studente en ‘n nagraadse doktorale student van Nederland,” het Venter gesê.
Venter verduidelik dat alles eintlik al in 2007 begin het. ‘n Groep studente het ‘n projek gedoen oor die impak van minimalistiese skoene op atlete. Daar was ook die navorsing oor die effek van kaalvoet-oefen op die stabiliteit en ratsheid van netbalspelers. “Daar is bevind dat spelers wat kaalvoet oefen se enkels meer stabiel is en dat hul ook ratser is.”
Dit is met dié agtergrond dat die moontlikheid aan Venter geopper is om ‘n gesamentlike navorsingsprojek met die Universiteit van Hamburg te doen. “In Duitsland en Europa loop kinders nie kaalvoet nie. Dit is in teenstelling met die kultuur van kaalvoet loop by ons. Kinders gaan selfs kaalvoet skool toe.”
Venter verduidelik dat daar verskeie toetse gedoen word. “Ons meet die lengte, breedte en hoogte van die kinders se voete en doen ook dieselfde met hul skoolskoene en tekkies. Ons laat hulle naellope hardloop met skoene en daar sonder.” Skole in die Wes-Kaap word gekontak vir deelname en ongeveer 300 kinders is reeds in Stellenbosch, Darling, Durbanville en Oudtshoorn getoets. Data sal tot die einde van die maand ingesamel word en dan weer van Januarie tot Mei 2016. Dit is ‘n tweejaar-projek. Kinders van 6 – 18 jaar is deel van die navorsing.
“Langtermyn is my droom om die negatiewe persepsie om kaalvoet te loop te verander,” vertel Venter. “Daar is natuurlik ‘n tyd en plek vir alles en ons moet ook skoene dra, maar kinders moet kaalvoet loop vir voet-ontwikkeling. Volwassenes kan by die huis ook kaalvoet loop. Hoewel die presiese effek van kaalvoet loop op die voetspiere nog nie genoeg nagevors is nie, lyk dit asof die spiere verantwoordelik vir enkelstabiliteit versterk word. Dit het moontlik implikasies vir die voorkoming van enkel – en voetbeserings, en verbetering van balans wat kan help dat ouer persone nie so maklik val nie. ”
Daar is verskillende doelwitte met die projek. “Omdat daar ‘n hele paar studente in die projek is, word daar na verskeie aspekte gekyk. Onder andere kyk ons of kinders die regte grootte skoolskoene dra. Ons laat hulle hardloop met tekkies en kaalvoet en kan so sien of kinders nie dalk beter presteer as hul kaalvoet hardloop nie.”
Venter en haar studente is baie opgewonde om te sien watter storie die data wat versamel is gaan vertel oor moontlike voordele van kaalvoet loop. “Ek besef dat vir baie kinders om ‘n paar skoene te besit iets ongeloofliks is en ek probeer nie die belangrikheid van skoene afmaak nie, maar ons probeer wys dat daar wel verskeie voordele aan kaalvoet loop verbonde is.”
ENGELS
Barefoot research project attracts great interest
In collaboration with the University of Hamburg, the Stellenbosch University’s Department of Sport Science is doing a barefoot research project.
The hypothesis of the project is that the feet of South African children who are habitual barefoot walkers are different than their European counterparts where it is not part of their culture to walk barefoot, said Dr Venter Ranel of the US.
“The tests at Hamburg and here are the same. The group of students, who does the research at SU, is a PhD student, several master’s students, eight Honours students and a post-doctoral fellow from the Netherlands,” said Venter.
Venter explained that everything actually all started in 2007. A group of students had a project on the impact of the minimalistic shoes in athletes. There was also the research on the effect of barefoot training on the stability and agility of netball players. “It was found that players’ ankles who train barefoot are more stable and that they are more agile.”
It is with this background that the possibility of a collaborative research project with the University of Hamburg was mentioned to Venter. “In Germany and Europe children never walk barefoot. This is in contrast with the culture of walking barefoot here in South Africa. Children even go to school barefoot. ”
Venter explained that there are several tests done for the research. “We measure the length, width and height of the childrens’ feet and do the same with their school shoes and trainers. We let them run sprints with shoes and without.” Schools in the Western Cape have been contacted for participation and some 300 children from Stellenbosch, Darling, Durbanville and Oudtshoorn are already part of project. Data will be collected until the end of the month and then again from January to May 2016. This is a two-year project. Children of 6-18 years are part of the research.
“Long term, my dream is to change the negative perception of barefoot walking,” said Venter. “There is obviously a time and place for everything, and we must also wear shoes sometimes, but children must also go barefoot for foot development. Adults can also go barefoot at home. Although the effect of barefoot walking on the muscles of the foot has not been researched enough, it seems as if the muscles that are responsible for ankle stability, are strengthened. This has possible implications for the prevention of ankle and foot injuries, as well as improved balance, which could prevent falls in the elderly.”
There are several objectives for the project. “Because there are quite a few students in the project, we look at various aspects. Among other things we assess if children wear the right shoe size. We also let them run with trainers and barefoot and see whether children perform better running barefoot.”
Venter and her students are very excited to see what story the data collected will tell about the benefits going barefoot. “I realize that for many children to own a pair of shoes is something incredible and I do not want to undermine the importance of shoes, but we try to show that there are several benefits involved to walking barefoot.”