scholarly journals Biathletes Prefer a Closed-Looped Strategy to Maintain Their Balance During Shooting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justyna Michalska ◽  
Rafał Zając ◽  
Krzysztof Szydło ◽  
Dagmara Gerasimuk ◽  
Kajetan J. Słomka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
National Level ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Balance Training ◽  
Target Position ◽  
Sample Entropy ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Foot Pressure ◽  
Longitudinal Effects

Abstract Background: Balance can also be a main factor contributing to success in many disciplines, and biathlon is a representative example. The center of foot pressure (COP) is commonly recorded when evaluating postural control. Because COP measurements are highly irregular and non-stationary, the non-linear deterministic methods are more appropriate for the analysis of COP displacement, such as entropy. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the longitudinal effects of biathlon training can elicit specific changes in postural control. Methods: 8 national-level biathletes, 15 non-athletes who prior to the experiment took part in 3 months of shooting training, and 15 non-athletes with no prior rifle shooting experience. The data was collected with the use of a force plate. Participants performed three balance tasks in quiet standing, the shooting position (internal focus), and aiming at the target (external focus). Results: Biathletes obtained significantly lower values of sample entropy compared to the other groups during shooting and aiming to the target trials (p<0.05).There were no significant differences in quiet standing trials between all three groups (p>0.05). External and internal focuses influenced the process of postural control among participants who had prior rifle shooting experience and the control group: they obtained significantly higher values of sample entropy during shooting and aiming to the target compared to the quiet standing trial (p<0.05). The biathletes obtained contrary results. There were no significant differences in the values of sample entropy between three consecutive trials in the ML plane; there was only one significant change in the AP plane. The biathletes obtained significantly lower values of sample entropy in aiming to the target position compared to the quiet standing trial. Conclusion: Specific balance training is associated with the ability to deal with a more challenging nonspecific task. The biathletes seemed to employ a different motor control strategy than the beginners and control group. They create repeating patterns (more regular signal for COP), which is a vigilant closed-loped strategy to keep one’s balance during the shooting and aiming to the target positions.

scholarly journals The Effect of Resistance and Balance Training on Postural Control and Physical Fitness in Adults with Down Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-182
Author(s):  
Yun-A Shin ◽  
Sang-Min Hong ◽  
Jong-Sun Lee ◽  
Hyo-Been Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Balance Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Fat Percentage ◽  
Foot Pressure ◽  
The Difference

PURPOSE:This study aimed to examine the effects of resistance and balance training on physical function and postural control in individuals with Down syndrome (DS).METHODS:Ten adults with DS constituted the experimental group (EX) and attended an 8-week resistance and balance training program. The results were compared with those of the control group (CON), which consisted of 10 patients who did not undergo any physical training. Body composition, postural stability, and physical fitness were measured before and after the training program. Resistance and balance training were performed for 60 minutes, three times a week for 8 weeks.RESULTS: Body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist circumference decreased significantly in the EX group after completing the 8-week resistance and balance training program. The center of pressure and the difference between standing foot pressure on the left and right were significantly improved in the EX group. Physical fitness including sit-to-stand repetitions and 10 m shuttle duration significantly improved in the EX and CON groups.CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that resistance and balance training to improve musculoskeletal problems is an effective strategy to prevent injury, fatigue, and falls during exercise and to improve general health in individuals with DS.

scholarly journals The Effect of Expertise on Postural Control in Elite ju-jitsu Athletes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Akbaş ◽  
Wojciech Marszałek ◽  
Sławomir Drozd ◽  
Wojciech Czarny ◽  
Paweł Król ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Sample Entropy ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Standard Analysis ◽  
Ecological Conditions ◽  
Postural Regulation

Abstract Background: The testing of athletes in ecological conditions is based on the concept that sport-specific adaptations in postural control are observed mostly in positions or tasks that are related to the practice of a specific movement. Due to the high postural control demands of ju-jitsu, it is likely that long-term ju-jitsu training may influence the process of maintaining a stable posture, especially in positions directly related to combat. The purpose of this study was to examine the postural sway characteristics of elite ju-jitsu athletes in ecological and non-ecological conditions with an approach not previously used in martial arts.Methods: The study was conducted on eleven male elite ju-jitsu athletes and ten non-athletes. The data was collected with the use of a force plate under two conditions: quiet standing and ju-jitsu combat stance. Apart from the standard analysis of the spatial-temporal parameters of COP, sensitive methods in COP data processing were used, namely rambling-trembling and sample entropy. The non-parametric U Mann-Whitney test was used to compare both positions.Results: The main findings of the study showed that in quiet standing, elite ju-jitsu athletes and non-athletes had comparable postural control in both the anterior-posterior and mediolateral planes. In contrast, elite athletes had lower values of postural sway and higher values of sample entropy in comparison to the non-trainees in the combat stance (p<0.05). The rambling-trembling decomposition of the COP data did not exhibit additional differences between groups beyond the standard analysis.Conclusions: Our results confirmed the importance of a sport-specific environment in investigating the subtle differences in the postural regulation of elite athletes. The sample entropy results indicated more irregular characteristics of postural sway in the elite ju-jitsu athletes, representing more automated postural control.

scholarly journals The Effect of Training Experience on Postural Control in Competitive Wrestlers

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Rzepko ◽  
Sławomir Drozd ◽  
Patrycja Żegleń ◽  
Paweł Król ◽  
Wojciech Bajorek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Sagittal Plane ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Balance Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Trajectory Data ◽  
Training Experience

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of training experience in wrestling on postural control. Fourteen elite athletes with at least 8 years of wrestling training and competition experience participated in the study. The control group consisted of fifteen healthy adults who were not competitive athletes. The center of pressure (COP) trajectories were recorded with the use of an AMTI force plate at a sampling frequency of 50 Hz. The rambling-trembling decomposition method was used to analyze the COP trajectory data. The main finding was a significant effect of training experience on postural control in only the sagittal plane. Interestingly, significant differences in velocity were observed for the trembling component of the COP. All described variables were significantly higher in wrestlers. We hypothesized that balance training may lead to task-specific neural adaptations at the spinal and supraspinal levels. It was concluded that further research of high methodological quality is needed to determine the effect of training experience on balance control in elite athletes. Additionally, this effect should be observed in youth athletes, as it may be treated as a selection criteria in the training process.

The effect of proprioceptive training on postural control in people with diabetes: A randomized clinical trial comparing delivery at home, under supervision, or no training

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921552198901
Author(s):  
Nathalia Cristina de Souza Borges ◽  
Ariane Hidalgo Mansano Pletsch ◽  
Mariana Barbosa Buzato ◽  
Natalia Akemi Yamada Terada ◽  
Fernanda Maria Ferreira da Cruz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Tests ◽  
Supervised Training ◽  
Proprioceptive Training ◽  
Home Training

Objective: Analyze postural control in the bipedal position as well as during gait and functional tests in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus after supervised and unsupervised proprioceptive training. Design: A three-group randomized controlled trial. Setting: Physiotherapeutic Resources Lab, Department of Health Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo Subjects: Eighty patients with type 2 diabetes allocated to three groups: control, home training, and supervised training. Interventions: The supervised and home training groups performed two weekly sessions of proprioceptive exercises for 12 weeks. The control group was not submitted to any of treatment. Main measures: Bipedal balance, gait, and performance on functional tests were evaluated before and after 12 weeks using the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) and the force plate. Results: No significant improvements were found regarding postural control, gait, or performance on the functional tests, as evidenced by the inter-group comparisons of the total BESTest score [control: 90.7 (81.5–92.6); home training: 85.2 (77.8–90.3); supervised training: 88.4 (82.6–91.4), P > 0.05] as well as the tests performed on the force plate ( P > 0.05). The clinical effect size of the proposed intervention was less than 0.2, demonstrating no effect for the main outcome variable evaluated by the “Sensory Orientation” item of the BESTest and by the mCTSIB (pressure plate). Conclusions: The proposed proprioceptive training did not lead to improvements in postural control in patients with type 2 diabetes with no clinical signs of diabetic distal polyneuropathy when analyzed using the BESTest clinical evaluation and a force plate. Trial registration: NCT01861392 (clinicaltrials.gov).

scholarly journals Characteristics of Functional Stability in Young Adolescent Female Artistic Gymnasts

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Opala-Berdzik ◽  
Magdalena Głowacka ◽  
Kajetan J. Słomka
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
National Level ◽  
Stability Limit ◽  
Young Adolescent ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Adolescent Female ◽  
Functional Stability ◽  
Postural Control System ◽  
Stability Limits

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine whether young adolescent female artistic gymnasts demonstrate better functional stability than age- and sex-matched non-athletes. Different characteristics of the gymnasts’ postural control were expected to be observed. Twenty-two 10- to 13-year-old healthy females (ten national-level artistic gymnasts and twelve non-athletes) participated in the study. To assess their forward functional stability, the 30-s limit of stability test was performed on a force plate. The test consisted of three phases: quiet standing, transition to maximal forward leaning, and standing in the maximal forward leaning position. Between-group comparisons of the directional subcomponents of the root mean squares and mean velocities of the center of pressure and rambling-trembling displacements in two phases (quiet standing and standing in maximal leaning) were conducted. Moreover, anterior stability limits were compared. During standing in maximal forward leaning, there were no differences in the center of pressure and rambling measures between gymnasts and non-athletes (p > 0.05). The values of trembling measures in both anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions were significantly lower in gymnasts (p < 0.05). Both groups presented similar values for anterior stability limits (p > 0.05). The comparisons of rambling components may suggest a similar supraspinal control of standing in the maximal leaning position between gymnasts and healthy non-athletes. However, decreased trembling in gymnasts may indicate reduced noise in their postural control system possibly due to superior control processes at the spinal level. The anterior stability limit was not influenced by gymnastics training in female adolescents.

scholarly journals The Effects of Active Self-Correction on Postural Control in Girls with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: The Role of an Additional Mental Task

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Piątek ◽  
Michał Kuczyński ◽  
Bożena Ostrowska
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Stroop Test ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Mental Task

Due to balance deficits that accompany adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), the potential interaction between activities of daily living and active self-correction movements (ASC) on postural control deserves particular attention. Our purpose was to assess the effects of ASC movements with or without a secondary mental task on postural control in twenty-five girls with AIS. It is a quasi-experimental within-subject design with repeated measures ANOVA. They were measured in four 20-s quiet standing trials on a force plate: no task, ASC, Stroop test, and both. Based on the center-of-pressure (COP) recordings, the COP parameters were computed. The ASC alone had no effect on any of the postural sway measures. Stroop test alone decreased COP speed and increased COP entropy. Performing the ASC movements and Stroop test together increased the COP speed and decreased COP entropy as compared to the baseline data. In conclusion, our results indicate that AIS did not interfere with postural control. The effects of the Stroop test accounted for good capacity of subjects with AIS to take advantage of distracting attentional resources from the posture. However, performing both tasks together exhibited some deficits in postural control, which may suggest the need for therapeutic consultation while engaging in more demanding activities.

Prolonged Standing Task Affects Adaptability of Postural Control in People With Parkinson’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-67
Author(s):  
Gabriel Felipe Moretto ◽  
Felipe Balistieri Santinelli ◽  
Tiago Penedo ◽  
Luis Mochizuki ◽  
Natalia Madalena Rinaldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Control System ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
The Body ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Body Sway ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Postural Control System ◽  
Prolonged Standing

Background Studies on short-term upright quiet standing tasks have presented contradictory findings about postural control in people with Parkinson’s disease (pwPD). Prolonged trial durations might better depict body sway and discriminate pwPD and controls. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate postural control in pwPD during a prolonged standing task. Methods A total of 26 pwPD and 25 neurologically healthy individuals performed 3 quiet standing trials (60 s) before completing a constrained prolonged standing task for 15 minutes. Motion capture was used to record body sway (Vicon, 100 Hz). To investigate the body sway behavior during the 15 minutes of standing, the analysis was divided into three 5-minute-long phases: early, middle, and late. The following body sway parameters were calculated for the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) directions: velocity, root-mean-square, and detrended fluctuations analysis (DFA). The body sway area was also calculated. Two-way ANOVAs (group and phases) and 1-way ANOVA (group) were used to compare these parameters for the prolonged standing and quiet standing, respectively. Results pwPD presented smaller sway area ( P < .001), less complexity (DFA; AP: P < .009; ML: P < .01), and faster velocity (AP: P < .002; ML: P < .001) of body sway compared with the control group during the prolonged standing task. Although the groups swayed similarly (no difference for sway area) during quiet standing, they presented differences in sway area during the prolonged standing task ( P < .001). Conclusions Prolonged standing task reduced adaptability of the postural control system in pwPD. In addition, the prolonged standing task may better analyze the adaptability of the postural control system in pwPD.

scholarly journals The Effect of Cognitive Task on Postural Control Dynamic Regularity of Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability When Standing on an Unstable Surface

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-168
Author(s):  
Shahab Asgari ◽  
◽  
Esmaeel Ebrahimi Takamjani ◽  
Reza Salehi ◽  
Soheil Mansour Sohani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Ankle Instability ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Sample Entropy ◽  
Chronic Ankle Instability ◽  
Dual Task Condition ◽  
Control Behavior ◽  
Unstable Surface ◽  
Significant Difference

Background and Objectives: Postural control disorder is a common complication in patients with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI). The present study aimed to investigate the effect of dual cognitive task on postural control behavior with regard to the Center of Pressure (CoP) signal regularity while standing on an unstable surface in athletes with CAI. Methods: In the present study, 58 men participated in two groups of healthy and patients with CAI. The CoP signal was examined in 4 different unstable states on the wobble board located at the center of the force plate. The regularity of the signals recorded from the force plate was investigated using sample entropy in two directions: anterior-posterior and medial-lateral. Results: In both groups, there was a significant difference in CoP’s sample entropy signal when performing a cognitive task with a postural task (P<0.001). There was a significant difference between the two groups in the cognitive task and the single task in the anteroposterior direction while standing on two legs. Conclusion: During dual tasks, the patients with CAI have a more dynamic regularity in the CoP signal than their normal counterparts. In the dual-task condition, more irregularities are observed in the CoP signal of healthy individuals. In unstable conditions, patients with CAI decrease the adaptability of postural control behavior with increasing CoP signal regularity.

Changes in postural control strategy during quiet standing in individuals with knee osteoarthritis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Kento Sabashi ◽  
Satoshi Kasahara ◽  
Harukazu Tohyama ◽  
Takeshi Chiba ◽  
Yuta Koshino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Angular Velocity ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Knee Osteoarthritis ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Knee Oa

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) impairs postural control and may be affected by how the lower limb joints are used. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how individuals with knee OA use lower limb joints for static postural control. METHODS: Ten patients with knee OA and thirteen healthy controls performed quiet standing for 30 s. The standard deviation of the center of mass (COM) and lower limb joint motions in the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) planes were calculated from three-dimensional marker trajectories. Pearson’s correlation analysis and independent t-tests were conducted to investigate the relationship between COM and lower limb joint motion and to compare group difference, respectively. RESULTS: The AP hip angular velocity alone in the knee OA group and the AP hip and knee angular velocity in the control group were significantly correlated with the AP COM velocity. The ML hip angular velocity was significantly correlated with the ML COM velocity in both groups. The knee OA group exhibited a significantly larger standard deviation of AP COM velocity than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with knee OA depended solely on the contribution of the hip to the AP COM velocity, which could not be successfully controlled by the knee.

scholarly journals Postural control in top-level female volleyball players

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Borzucka ◽  
Krzysztof Kręcisz ◽  
Zbigniew Rektor ◽  
Michał Kuczyński
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Sampling Rate ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Peak Frequency ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Volleyball Players

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to compare the postural control of the Poland national women’s volleyball team players with a control group of non-training young women. It was hypothesized that volleyball players use a specific balance control strategy due to the high motor requirements of their team sport. Methods Static postural sway variables were measured in 31 athletes and 31 non-training women. Participants were standing on a force plate with eyes open, and their center of pressure signals were recorded for the 20s with the sampling rate of 20 Hz in the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) planes. Results In both AP and ML planes, athletes had lower range and higher fractal dimension of the COP. They had also higher peak frequency than control group in the ML plane only. The remaining COP indices including variability, mean velocity and mean frequency did not display any intergroup differences. Conclusion It can be assumed that due to the high motor requirements of their sport discipline Polish female volleyball players have developed a unique posture control. On the court they have to distribute their sensory resources optimally between balance control and actions resulting from the specifics of the volleyball game. There are no clearly defined criteria for optimal postural strategies for elite athletes, but they rather vary depending on a given sport. The results of our research confirm this claim. Trial registration The tests were previously approved by the Bioethical Commission of the Chamber of Physicians in Opole. (Resolution No. 151/13.12.2007). This study adheres to the CONSORT guidelines.

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