Lunge Mechanics Shift With Shin Angle and Load

A shin angle of 60 degrees created a larger knee joint moment than an angle of 90 degrees during lunges. That difference shows why body position matters. It also suggests that two lunges can place different mechanical demands on the knee, even when the movement looks similar.

Researchers tested this with 26 healthy young men. Each participant performed lunges with the tibia positioned at 60 degrees and 90 degrees relative to the floor. They did the movements under two external-load conditions. The team combined musculoskeletal modeling with finite element analysis to examine what happened inside the joint.

The added load also changed knee behavior. Rotational stiffness was lower when the external load was 98 N. At a 90-degree tibial angle with that load, the greatest stress and displacement appeared in the posterior horn, the rear section of the meniscus. This makes load and angle important details to consider together.

The results offer biomechanical support for lunge-based exercise and rehabilitation. They also raise a practical question. Should training plans treat shin angle and external load as separate choices, or should they be adjusted as a pair?