THE SPORTING FOOT-ANKLE COMPLEX
Description
Unlock the full potential of the foot-ankle complex: the foundation of human movement. This practical, science-based course empowers therapists, coaches, and performance specialists to assess, strengthen, and optimize the foot-ankle system for rehabilitation and athletic performance. Learn how to evaluate muscular strength objectively, design targeted strengthening programs, enhance reactive power, and implement high-load, periodized training protocols. Whether your goal is recovery or performance, this course gives you the tools to build stronger, faster, and more resilient athletes from the ground up.
Course Outline
Course aims and learning objectives:
As the first interface with the ground, the foot-ankle complex is a fundamental region in human biomechanics. Whether it is for running, jumping, accelerating or changing direction, the foot-ankle
complex plays a crucial role at absorbing impact forces, producing mechanical energy and transmitting the forces produced by the proximal joints.
Scientific data produced over the past ten years demonstrates the importance of triceps surae and extrinsic muscles to optimize lower limb
energy conservation and propulsion. Therefore, the real challenge for a therapist lies in their ability to effectively strengthen the foot-ankle muscles of their patients.
This course will give you the keys to:
(1) objectively assess the muscular strength of the foot-ankle
(2) effectively strengthen the foot
absorbers and foot propellers muscles for a therapeutic rehabilitation or athletic development
purpose
(3) improve reactive strength and explosivity of the foot-ankle complex and
(4) to build a high-load periodized foot-ankle strengthening protocol in a rehab or performance oriented
approach.
Course Schedule
Overview of the course programme:
PROGRAM (2 DAYS – 8 HOURS PER DAY):
Day 1 (9.00-5.30pm) Saturday 21st February 2026
Part 1: From the biomechanical role of the foot-ankle muscles to the biomechanical-performance rehab framework (theory)
Part 2: Main sports injuries of the foot complex: plantar heel pain, bone stress injuries, and metatarsalgia (theory & practice)
Part 3: Evaluation of the stabilizing foot-ankle ", “absorbing foot-ankle”, and “propulsing foot-ankle” (theory & practice)
Break time (one in the morning and one in the afternoon with times to be defined with
participants and organizers)
Lunch (time to be defined with participants and organizers)
Day 2 (9.00-5.00pm) Sunday 22nd February 20206
Part 4: Improvement of the stabilizing foot-ankle, “absorbing foot-ankle”, and “propulsing foot-ankle” (theory & practice)
Part 5: Evaluation and improvement of foot-ankle explosiveness and reactive strength (theory & practice)
Part 6: Building a foot-ankle strengthening protocol: principles, periodization, and integration (theory)
Break time (one in the morning and one in the afternoon with times to be defined with
participants and organizers)
Lunch (time to be defined with participants and organizers)
Tutor
Romain TOURILLON
PT / PhD
Rehabilitation Specialist | Consultant | Educator | Researcher Romain combines his roles as a sports physiotherapist, researcher and educator through his work with individual athletes at the Swiss Olympic Medical of La Tour Hospital in Geneva (Switzerland). Currently leading the foot-ankle service, he also did a PhD thesis on the role of MTPj
flexion strength in propulsion kinetics and sport physical performance at the University of Saint- Etienne (France).
Romain actively participates in the representation of the profession on the
international level as he’s an active member of the scientific organization: International Ankle Consortium and organized the 10th International Ankle Symposium 2024 in France. On a clinical level, Romain completed his MSc in physiotherapy and then undertook his MSc in S&C (Training and Sport Performance Optimization).
On a scientific level, Romain participated as a speaker in several national and international congress: International Ankle Symposium,
French Ankle Symposium, European Congress of Sports Science, etc and has peer-reviewed publications around the thematic of
human foot-ankle muscles strength. Finally, he is also a private consultant for elite professional athletes or sport structures in parallel of his clinical and scientific activities”.
Venue Details
- 41 - 47 Threadneedle Street
London EC2R 8AR