Integrating Footwork in Table Tennis Multi-Ball Practice Increases Physiological and Neuromuscular Demands without Affecting Energy Cost and Plantar Pressure
(Jianfeng Deng, Zhenyu Wang, Minyue Yin, Yuxi Li, Xinxin Wang, Shengji Deng, Yiqi Tian, Yan Wang, Olivier Girard, Yongming Li)

This study assessed the physiological and neuromuscular consequences of using different footwork techniques during table tennis forehand loop multi-ball training. Ten male table tennis players executed forehand loops with no step, a chasse step, a side step, and a cross step at three different frequencies (12, 24 and 36 balls·min−1 for the cross step, and 24, 36 and 48 balls·min−1 for the others) on separated days. Cardiorespiratory variables along with total and per-stroke energy cost were determined. Plantar pressure data were collected using instrumented insoles. Countermovement jump tests were performed before and immediately after each stage. The heart rate, oxygen uptake, and total energy cost significantly increased with frequency for all footwork techniques (all p < 0.05). However, the energy cost per stroke decreased at higher frequencies (p < 0.05), as did the peak plantar pressure across the whole foot and specific foot regions (p < 0.05). Countermovement jump height decreased at moderate and high frequencies (p < 0.05), except for no step and the chasse step. In conclusion, integrating footwork into forehand loop multi-ball training increases physiological and neuromuscular demands in table tennis players. The reduced energy cost at higher frequencies likely reflects a reduction in movement amplitude, a strategy to cope with shorter time windows, which in turn leads to lower force production from the lower limbs. Coaches should adapt training interventions focusing on improving the power and strength of lower limbs to offset the reduction of force caused by the shortened time window at high frequency.