Gender differences in postural balance, physical activity level, BMI, and body composition in athletes with visual impairment

2021 ◽  
pp. 026461962110099
Author(s):  
Ferhat Esatbeyoglu ◽  
Ayse Kin-İsler
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Postural Balance ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Anthropometric Measurements ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Compliant Surface ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Eyes Open

The aim of this study was to examine the gender differences in postural balance, physical activity (PA), and body mass index (BMI) and body composition in visually impaired (VI) athletes. A total of 66 athletes took part in this study. After anthropometric measurements, the PA level was assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. The modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance tool was used to assess postural balance in four standing conditions: (1) eyes-open on a firm surface, (2) eyes-closed on a firm surface, (3) eyes-open on a compliant surface, and (4) eyes closed on a compliant surface. Findings revealed gender differences in anthropometric measurements ( p < .05). No statistically significant differences were found in fat mass and fat free mass between sighted male and VI male athletes and between sighted female and VI female athletes ( p > .05). Weekly, high and moderate PA levels as well as walking were found to be different across the four groups ( p < .05). Assessment of postural balance in four standing conditions revealed no gender differences in sighted athletes ( p > .05). Postural balance scores in conditions 1 and 3 showed significant gender differences ( p < .05), whereas conditions 2 and 4 showed no gender differences in athletes with VI ( p > .05). Gender-matched differences were also apparent in conditions 1 and 3, revealing that VI male and female athletes scored worse in these conditions than their sighted male and female counterparts ( p < .05). There is a delay in balance parameter in VI athletes even if their fitness levels are similar with their sighted counterparts. The present findings could also be useful for gender-specific training session preparations in VI sports.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Postural Stability among 13-Year-Old Alpine Skiers

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 3859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka D. Jastrzębska
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Postural Balance ◽  
Lactate Concentration ◽  
Blood Lactate Concentration ◽  
Body Sway ◽  
Foot Pressure ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Alpine Skiers

This experiment examined changes in body sway after Wingate test (WAnT) in 19 adolescents practicing alpine skiing, subjected to the same type of training load for 4–5 years (10 girls and nine boys). The postural examinations were performed with eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC), and sway reverenced vision (SRV) in the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) planes. The displacement of center of foot pressure (CoP), range of sway (RS), mean sway velocity (MV), way length, and surface area were measured in bipedal upright stance before and after the WAnT to assess the influence of fatigue on postural balance. There were no significant differences in WAnT parameters between girls and boys. Relative peak power (RPP), relative total work (RWtot) were (girls vs. boys) 8.89 ± 0.70 vs. 9.57 ± 1.22 W/kg, p < 0.05 and 227.91 ± 14.98 vs. 243.22 ± 30.24 W/kg, p < 0.05 respectively. The fatigue index (FI) was also on similar level in both genders; however, blood lactate concentration (BLa) was significantly higher in boys (10.35 ± 1.16 mM) than in girls (8.67 ± 1.35 mM) p = 0.007. In the EO examination, statistically significant differences between resting and fatigue conditions in the whole group and after the division into girls and boys were found. In fatigue conditions, significant gender differences were noted for measurements in the ML plane (sway path and RS) and RS in the AP plane. Comparison of the three conditions shows differences between EO vs. EC and SRV in AP plane measured parameters, and for RS in ML plane in rest condition in girls. The strong correlations between FI and CoP parameters mainly in ML plane in the whole group for all examination conditions were noted. By genders, mainly RS in ML plane strongly correlates with FI (r > 0.7). No correlation was found between BLa and CoP parameters (p > 0.06). The presented results indicate that subjecting adolescents of both genders to the same training may reduce gender differences in the postural balance ability at rest but not in fatigue conditions and that girls are significantly superior in postural balance in the ML plane than boys. It was also shown that too little or too much information may be destructive to postural balance in young adolescents.

scholarly journals Altering Visual Feedback Conditions Impacts Postural Sway Performance in Children After Controlling for Body Mass Index and Habitual Physical Activity

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Duncan ◽  
Elizabeth Bryant ◽  
Mike Price ◽  
Samuel Oxford ◽  
Emma Eyre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Habitual Physical Activity ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Computerized Posturography ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Anterior Posterior

This study examined postural sway in children in eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions, controlling for body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA). Sixty two children (aged 8–11years) underwent sway assessment using computerized posturography from which 95% ellipse sway area, anterior/posterior (AP) sway, medial/lateral (ML) sway displacement and sway velocity were assessed. Six trials were performed alternatively in EO and EC. BMI (kg/m2) was determined from height and mass. PA was determined using sealed pedometry. AP amplitude (p = .038), ML amplitude (p = .001), 95% ellipse (p = .0001), and sway velocity (p = .012) were higher in EC compared with EO conditions. BMI and PA were not significant as covariates. None of the sway variables were significantly related to PA. However, sway velocity during EO (p = .0001) and EC (p = .0001) was significantly related to BMI. These results indicate that sway is poorer when vision is removed, that BMI influences sway velocity, but that pedometer-assessed PA was not associated with postural sway.

scholarly journals Prevalence of depression among undergraduate students: gender and age differences

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Ghaedi ◽  
Azlina Binti Mohd Kosnin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Female Undergraduate ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Male Undergraduate ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression

Depressive disorders are the most typical disease affecting many different factors of humanity. University students may be at increased risk of depression owing to the pressure and stress they encounter. Therefore, the purpose of this study is comparing the level of depression among male and female athletes and non-athletes undergraduate student of private university in Esfahan, Iran. The participants in this research are composed of 400 male and female athletes as well as no-athletes Iranian undergraduate students. The Beck depression test (BDI) was employed to measure the degree of depression. T-test was used to evaluate the distinction between athletes and non-athletes at P≤0.05. The ANOVA was conducted to examine whether there was a relationship between level of depression among non-athletes and athletes. The result showed that the prevalence rate of depression among non-athlete male undergraduate students is significantly higher than that of athlete male students. The results also presented that level of depression among female students is much more frequent compared to males. This can be due to the fatigue and lack of energy that are more frequent among female in comparison to the male students. Physical activity was negatively related to the level of depression by severity among male and female undergraduate students. However, there is no distinct relationship between physical activity and level of depression according to the age of athlete and non-athlete male and female undergraduate students. This study has essential implications for clinical psychology due to the relationship between physical activity and prevalence of depression.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Postural Stability, Anthropometry Measurements, Body Composition, and Sport Experience in Judokas with Visual Impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Ferreira Jeronymo ◽  
Pablo Rodrigo de Oliveira Silva ◽  
Míriam Mainenti ◽  
Lilian Ramiro Felicio ◽  
Arthur de Sá Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Postural Stability ◽  
Anthropometric Measurements ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Bootstrap Analysis ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Stability Area

Background: Postural stability is quite mandatory when practicing high-performance sports. Investigations of postural stability and related variables in judokas with visual impairment can lead to new training plans targeting the improvement of postural stability and ultimately to enhanced performance. Objectives: To investigate postural stability and its relationship with anthropometric measurements, body composition, and experience in judokas with visual impairment. Methods: Seventeen judokas (70.6% men) with visual impairment participated in this cross-sectional study. The athletes were grouped based on the functional classification of partial (B2/B3, n = 10) and total visual impairment (B1, n = 7). Postural stability was assessed using the elliptical area of the 95% confidence interval (Area) and the average displacement velocity (Vavg) while remaining in a bipedal stance with eyes closed and blindfolded. Body mass, height, circumferences, skinfold thickness and diameters were measured and used to estimate body composition. Between-group comparisons were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney test. Bivariate correlations were determined with Spearman’s correlation coefficient with bootstrap analysis and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) from 500 resamplings. Results: No significant difference was observed between the B1 and B2/B3 groups in relation to postural stability (Area; P = 1.00; Vavg; P = 0.85). Postural stability (Area but not Vavg) correlated positively and moderately (P < 0.05) with anthropometric measurements and negatively with judo experience (practice time). Conclusions: The postural stability of judokas was unrelated to the degree of visual impairment. Postural instability was correlated with anthropometric measurements, mainly body fat and height, and judo experience.

scholarly journals Postural Stability in Athletes: The Role of Age, Sex, Performance Level, and Athlete Shoe Features

Sports ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Albina Andreeva ◽  
Andrey Melnikov ◽  
Dmitry Skvortsov ◽  
Kadriya Akhmerova ◽  
Alexander Vavaev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postural Stability ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Performance Level ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Athletic Shoes ◽  
Posture Stability

The effects of different factors—such as age, sex, performance level, and athletic shoe features—on postural balance in athletes remain unclear. The main objective of our study is to identify the features of postural stability in athletes of different age, sex, performance level, and using different types of athletic shoes. This study assessed postural stability in athletes (n = 936, 6–47 years) in a normal bipedal stance with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). Postural stability was evaluated based on the center of pressure (COP), sway area (AS), and velocity (VCP) while standing on a stabiloplatform. Children (6–12 years) and teen athletes (13–17 years) showed reduced AS-EO (p < 0.01) and VCP-EO (p < 0.01) compared to control (n = 225, 7–30 years). In male and female athletes aged 18+, only VCP-EC was lower versus control. In females (13–17 and 18+), VCP-EO and EC were lower than in males (p < 0.05). Only in the Shooting group, the athletes’ performance levels had an effect on VCP-EO (p = 0.020). Long use of rigid athletic shoes with stiff ankle support was associated with reduced posture stability. Postural stability in athletes was mostly influenced by the athlete‘s age, and, to a lesser extent, by their sex, performance level, and athlete shoe features.

scholarly journals Static Balance of Visually Impaired Athletes in Open and Closed Skill Sports

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Bednarczuk ◽  
Ida Wiszomirska ◽  
Jolanta Marszałek ◽  
Izabela Rutkowska ◽  
Waldemar Skowroński
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Body Posture ◽  
Posture Control ◽  
Static Balance ◽  
Motor Abilities ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Unstable Surface ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Left And Right

AbstractIntroduction. In elite sport, athletes are required to maintain appropriate body posture control despite a number of destabilising factors. The functions of body posture control are monitored by the central nervous system that constantly receives information from the vestibular and somatosensory systems as well as from the visual analyser. Visual impairment may contribute to a decrease in the level of motor abilities and skills; however, it does not prevent visually impaired individuals from taking up physical activity. Therefore, this study sought to assess the static balance of visually impaired goalball players and shooters. Material and methods. The study included 37 goalball players and 20 shooters. A force platform was used to assess static balance. The study participants performed tests: standing on both feet with eyes open (BFEO) and closed (BFEC) (30 s), single left- and right-leg stance with eyes open (SLEO and SREO) as well as single left- and right-leg stance with eyes closed (SLEC and SREC). Statistical analyses were carried out using the following parameters: centre of pressure (CoP) path length [cm], CoP velocity [m/s], and the surface area of the stabilogram [cm2]. Results. No significant differences were found between goalball players and shooters in static balance levels. However, such differences were observed after taking into account the number of athletes who were capable of performing particular tests. Conclusions. The findings indirectly confirm that there is a correlation between the type of physical activity and balance levels in visually impaired individuals. Further research ought to include tests performed on an unstable surface.

scholarly journals Postural Balance Ability and the Effect of Visual Restriction on Older Dancers and Non-Dancers

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Elissavet Nikolaidou ◽  
Vasilios Karfis ◽  
Maria Koutsouba ◽  
Arno Schroll ◽  
Adamantios Arampatzis
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Postural Balance ◽  
Path Length ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Quiet Stance ◽  
Balance Performance ◽  
Visual Channel ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Eyes Open

Dance has been suggested to be an advantageous exercise modality for improving postural balance performance and reducing the risk of falls in the older population. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether visual restriction impacts older dancers and non-dancers differently during a quiet stance balance performance test. We hypothesized higher balance performance and greater balance deterioration due to visual restriction in dancers compared with non-dancers, indicating the superior contribution of the visual channel in the expected higher balance performances of dancers. Sixty-nine (38 men, 31 women, 74 ± 6 years) healthy older adults participated and were grouped into a Greek traditional dance group (n = 31, two to three times/week for 1.5 h/session, minimum of 3 years) and a non-dancer control group (n = 38, no systematic exercise history). The participants completed an assessment of one-legged quiet stance trials using both left and right legs and with eyes open while standing barefoot on a force plate (Wii, A/D converter, 1,000 Hz; Biovision) and two-legged trials with both eyes open and closed. The possible differences in the anthropometric and one-legged balance parameters were examined by a univariate ANOVA with group and sex as fixed factors. This ANOVA was performed using the same fixed factors and vision as the repeated measures factor for the two-legged balance parameters. In the one-legged task, the dance group showed significantly lower values in anteroposterior and mediolateral sway amplitudes (p = 0.001 and p = 0.035) and path length measured in both directions (p = 0.001) compared with the non-dancers. In the two-legged stance, we found a significant vision effect on path length (p &lt; 0.001) and anteroposterior amplitude (p &lt; 0.001), whereas mediolateral amplitude did not differ significantly (p = 0.439) between closed and open eyes. The dance group had a significantly lower CoP path length (p = 0.006) and anteroposterior (p = 0.001) and mediolateral sway amplitudes (p = 0.003) both in the eyes-open and eyes-closed trials compared with the control group. The superior balance performance in the two postural tasks found in the dancers is possibly the result of the coordinated, aesthetically oriented intersegmental movements, including alternations between one- and two-legged stance phases, that comes with dance. Visual restriction resulted in a similar deterioration of balance performance in both groups, thus suggesting that the contribution of the visual channel alone cannot explain the superior balance performance of dancers.

scholarly journals The characteristic of the component body composition of athletes involved in game-based and cyclic kinds of sports

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-51
Author(s):  
S. V. Gudimov ◽  
A. N. Shkrebko ◽  
I. A. Osetrov ◽  
I. E. Pleshcheev ◽  
M. A. Kuznetsov
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Physical Training ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Cell Mass ◽  
The Body ◽  
Anthropometric Measurements ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Anthropometric Parameters ◽  
Volleyball Players ◽  
Body Weight Index

Objective: to determine a component body composition of students specializing in volleyball and athletics and to conduct a comparative analysis of the results.Materials and methods: the study was conducted at the Department of physical training and sports at the Yaroslavl State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The study included students from different groups of physical training: volleyball (10 men and 10 women), athletics (10 women) (experimental groups), and first­year students that attended physical training classes (14 men and 16 women) (control group).Results: significant differences were revealed between the anthropometric measurements in the experimental groups of the studied women and between the results of anthropometric measurements in the female volleyball players, female athletes, and students from the control group. Significant differences were revealed in the component body composition of the studied women from the experimental and control groups. The analysis of the results of anthropometric measurements in the experimental and control groups of men did not reveal any significant differences between the parameters. Bioimpedancemetry revealed significant differences in the composition of the internal milieu of volleyball players in comparison with the control group.Conclusions: 1. differences were revealed in the component composition of the body of female athletes involved in game­based and cyclic kinds of sport as well as in the parameters of bio­impedance of female volleyball players and the control group. Female volleyball players had higher parameters of total body fluids, intracellular and extracellular fluids, fat­free, fat, and active cell mass in comparison with female light athletes and the control group. The differences in the obtained results were more significant in the experimental groups. 2. Bio­impendance analysis of men showed significant differences in the component body composition of volleyball players in comparison with untrained students. The parameters of total body fluids, fat­free, fat, and active cell mass in sportsmen exceeded the same parameters in the control group. 3. Differences were established in the anthropometric parameters depending on the sport­oriented specialization of female students. Female volleyball players had higher values of mass, length, body weight index, and body surface area, the circumferences of the pelvis, thighs, and wrists in comparison with the results obtained in female light athletes. Similar differences were revealed in the anthropometric parameters of female volleyball players and students from the control group. Significantly lower values of the body weight index, circumference of the chest and pelvis of female athletes were registered in comparison with students from the control group. Male volleyball players did not have significant differences in the anthropometric parameters. They tended to have an increase in the body mass, length and surface area of the body, circumference of the chest, thighs, and wrists.

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