Biomechanics of lower limb in badminton lunge: a systematic scoping review

Background: Badminton is a popular sport activity in both recreational and elite levels. A lot of biomechanical studies have investigated badminton lunge, since good lunge performance may increase the chances to win the game. This review summarized the current trends, research methods, and parameters-of-interest concerning lower-extremity biomechanics in badminton lunges.

Methodology: Databases including Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and PubMed were searched from the oldest available date to September 2020. Two independent authors screened all the articles and 20 articles were eligible for further review. The reviewed articles compared the differences among playing levels, footwear designs, and lunge directions/variations, using parameters including ground reaction forces, plantar pressure distribution, kinematics, and kinetics.

Results: Elite badminton players demonstrated higher impact attenuation capability, more aggressive knee and ankle strategy (higher mechanical moment), and higher medial plantar load than amateur players. Footwear modifications can influence comfort perception and movement mechanics, but it remains inconclusive regarding how these may link with lunging performance. Contradicting findings in kinematics is possibly due to the variations in lunge and instructions.

Conclusions: Playing levels and shoe designs have significant effects on biomechanics in badminton lunges. Future studies can consider to use an unanticipated testing protocol and realistic movement intensity. They can study the inter-limb coordination as well as the contributions and interactions of intrinsic and extrinsic factors to injury risk. Furthermore, current findings can stimulate further research studying whether some specific footwear materials with structural design could potentially compromise impact attenuation, proprioception, and performance.