Ankle muscle coactivation during gait is decreased immediately after anterior weight shift practice in adults after stroke

• We studied effects of balance practice on ankle muscle coactivation after stroke.
• Gait speed immediately increased after anterior weight shift practice.
• Ankle muscle coactivation on the paretic side decreased after balance practice.
• There were no significant relationships between changes in these outcomes.
• Improvement in gait speed coincided with decreased muscle coactivation.

Increased ankle muscle coactivation during gait has frequently been observed as an adaptation strategy to compensate for postural instability in adults after stroke. However, it remains unclear whether the muscle coactivation pattern increases or decreases after balance training. The aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of balance practice on ankle muscle coactivation during gait in adults after stroke. Standing balance practice performed to shift as much weight anteriorly as possible in 24 participants after stroke. The forward movement distance of the center of pressure (COP) during anterior weight shifting, gait speed, and ankle muscle activities during 10-m walking tests were measured immediately before and after balance practice. Forward movement of the COP during anterior weight shifting and gait speed significantly increased after balance practice. On the paretic side, tibialis anterior muscle activity significantly decreased during the single support and second double support phases, and the coactivation index at the ankle joint during the first double support and single support phases significantly decreased after balance practice. However, there were no significant relationships between the changes in gait speed, forward movement of the COP during anterior weight shifting, and ankle muscle coactivation during the stance phase. These results suggested that ankle muscle coactivation on the paretic side during the stance phase was decreased immediately after short-term anterior weight shift practice, which was not associated with improved gait speed or forward movement of the COP during anterior weight shifting in adults after stroke.