Energy Cost of Badminton Footwork: A Novel Experimental Approach

Purpose: Despite the increasing body of literature on badminton, no data exist concerning the energy cost of badminton movement, known as “footwork.” This study introduces a novel experimental approach to assessing the energy cost of footwork by applying established metabolic measurement techniques to badminton-specific movement patterns for the first time. In addition, it aims to verify whether differences exist between 2 different movement combinations. Methods: Seven male and 7 female badminton athletes (age 19 [4] y; body mass 64.9 [8.4] kg; height 1.72 [0.08] m; V̇O2peak 55.5 [10.3] mL·kg−1·min−1) completed 2 sets of 12 repetitions of 4 all-out preplanned footwork exercises with 30 seconds of passive recovery, using 2 types of steps (side step and running step). During exercises, respiratory data, blood lactate concentration, and net energy cost (CnetFW, J·kg−1·m−1) were determined, along with total exercise duration and average speed. Results: CnetFW was 19.59 (4.46) for side step and 20.38 (4.52) J·kg−1·m−1 for running step. No significant differences in metabolic data, total exercise duration, or average speed were observed (P < .05). CnetFW data showed a positive linear correlation between energy cost and footwork speed (r = .62; r2 = .39; P = .0009). Conclusions: CnetFW increases with speed, but there is no significant difference between the 2 types of footwork. Players and coaches can choose the most appropriate step combinations based on individual characteristics and specific game requirements.