Electromyography of muscles of posture: leg and thigh muscles in women, including the effects of high heels

In previous communications, Joseph & Nightingale (1952, 1954) stated that when standing with the feet about 30-45 cm apart, the hands clasped lightly behind the back and the weight evenly distributed on both lower limbs or with the weight mainly on one limb, the great majority of males showed continuous electrical activity in the calf muscles (soleus and possibly gastrocnemius), but no detectable activity in the tibialis anterior muscle or in the muscles of the front and back of the thigh (quadriceps femoris and hamstrings). It was suggested in their first paper that, since Hellebrandt & Braun (1939) indicated that sex and age produced differences in the erect posture, it was advisable to make a separate study of women. The results of such an investigation are given in the present paper, together with an account of the effects produced by high heels on the postural activity of these muscles.