The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ankle joint rotational stiffness (AJRS) and localized muscle fatigue on tibial response parameters (TRPs): peak acceleration (PA), time to peak acceleration (TPA), and acceleration slope (AS). The right leg of 15 male and 11 female runners was impacted using a human pendulum apparatus in both non-fatigue and fatigue conditions across a range of ankle angles (0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% of maximum dorsiflexion angle). No differences in TRPs were found between non-fatigue and fatigue conditions, or between sexes. Overall, a positive relationship was found between AJRS and PA, as well as AJRS and AS, while a negative relationship existed between AJRS and TPA. It is proposed that an optimal amount of AJRS is needed when regulating the transmission of impact shock as a tradeoff between optimizing joint stability and possibly preventing injury resulting from impact.
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