Abstract
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.
Highlights
The ability to maintain body balance, either static or dynamic, is of great importance for performing everyday activities, as well as for the development and optimization of an athlete’s basic motor skills [1,2].It is one the most important skills that protect from injury
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
Neither body mass (p = 0.66), nor height (p = 0.11), nor BMI (p = 0.25) varied between both groups, whereas body composition significantly differed between two groups in absolute (Table 1) and standardized to highest fat mass index (FMI; p < 0.000) and free fat mass index (FFMI; p < 0.000)
Summary
The ability to maintain body balance, either static or dynamic, is of great importance for performing everyday activities, as well as for the development and optimization of an athlete’s basic motor skills [1,2]. It is one the most important skills that protect from injury. Non-athletes show lower postural control, mainly in the mediolateral plane compared to 13-year-old soccer players [5]. Greater CoP path length and velocity compared to young karate athletes [6]. Public Health 2020, 17, 3859; doi:10.3390/ijerph17113859 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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