Sports Influence on Dynamic Postural Control in Children

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Introduction: The hypokinesis that characterises the western population can lead to the impairment of postural control. This study investigated whether different kinds of sports and sedentary life can influence dynamic postural control in children. A subject in single stance on a rocking board manages the situations of instability using three main strategies: visual-proprioceptive, vestibular and with arms counterbalance. The proprioceptive-visual strategy allows more refined postural control. The subject maintains his head and trunk almost immobile, while the lower limb in stance translates at high frequency. The vestibular strategy is based on continuous movements and countermovements of the trunk, hips and upper limbs, always excessive as regards the situation to be managed. The arms counterbalance strategy is used in the presence of an inadequate visual-proprioceptive strategy, to stabilise the trunk and limit the vestibular intervention. The subject uses his arms as a rudder. Methods: In this study 109 children (85 sports children, 24 sedentary children), aged 9 to 13, were assessed to quantify dynamic postural control in single stance with arms counterbalance. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are different strategies in dynamic postural control in the two groups and if among sports children, the different competitive activities (Gymnastics, Skiing, Ice Skating and Soccer) influence the postural control. The children were assessed with the Delos Postural System consisting of a rocking platform with visual feed-back, a steel structure with an infrared sensor for hand support to avoid risk of falling and a postural controller, all connected to a computer, able to discover the postural strategies. Children performed 6 trials of 30 seconds for each leg. Results: The results showed highly significant differences (p < 0.001) in dynamic postural strategies between sports children and sedentary children. After 3 minutes work 96% of gymnasts (and 71% of healthy adults) reached complete autonomy, but only 43% of sedentary children were able to finish the trial. Moreover, postural control was influenced by the different kinds of sport. Statistical data showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in dynamic postural control between the groups of Gymnasts-Ice skaters and the groups of Skiers-Soccer players. After 3 minutes work 90% of Gymnasts-Ice skaters reached complete autonomy, while only 65% of Skiers-Soccer players were able to finish the trial.FIGURE: LEARNING CURVESDiscussion: Sports children have a higher autonomy and privilege “visual-proprioceptive” strategies, while sedentary children have a lower autonomy and privilege “vestibular” strategies. Therefore competitive sports influence the dynamic postural control in children, while sedentary life does not allow children to develop it at an adequate level. The non-use regression is confirmed by the fact that short training periods as the testing time on an electronic board, allow to reinstate very good levels of postural control and disequilibrium management. Moreover, these findings demonstrate that postural control is influenced by the kind of sport. The differences between the groups of Gymnasts-Ice skaters (with daily training) and the groups of Skiers-Soccer players (with two-days a week training) show that to experience a greater number of movement situations is a decisive factor to refine the proprioceptive-visual strategies. Increasing the number of proprioceptive signals to be managed, at an unconscious level, represents an effective means to prevent movement regression, caused by non-use, which affects sedentary children.