Muscle Activation During Heel Raised Squats

There's a thorry among some weight room regulars that raising the heels of your feet might reduce the risk of back injury during squats. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research put this idea to the test using 14 recreational male and female lifters between the ages of 15 and 50.
 
Subjects performed barbell back squats using 80% of their one rep max barefoot, on a flat surface and on a heel raised platform. The raised heel position did not significantly change trunk or lower body muscle activation. Knee and spine positioning also remained pretty much the same, suggesting this tactic might not be all that useful for injury prevention.