Balance and postural control in basketball players

Abstract

Introduction: Basketball is one of the most popular sports involving gestures and movements that require single-leg based support. Dorsiflexion range of motion (DROM), balance and postural control may influence the performance of this sport. Objective: To compare and correlate measures of balance, postural control and ankle DROM between amateur basketball athletes and non-athletes. Methods: Cross-sectional study, composed by 122 subjects allocated into one control group (CG = 61) and one basketball group (BG = 61). These groups were subdivided into two other groups by age: 12-14 years and 15-18 years. The participants were all tested for postural balance with the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), postural control with the Step-down test and DROM with the Weight-bearing lunge test (WBLT). Between-groups differences were compared using repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance. Normalized reaching distances were analyzed and correlated with the WBLT and Step-down test. Results: There was no difference in the scores of WBLT (P = .488) and Step-down test (P =. 916) between the groups. Scores for the anterior reach (P = .001) and total score of SEBT (P = .030) were higher in BG. The values for the posterolateral (P = .001) and posteromedial reach (P = .001) of SEBT were higher in BG at the age of 15-18. The correlation between the anterior reach of the SEBT and WBLT was significant in BG between 12-14 years (r = 0.578, P = .008), and in the CG between 15-18 years (r = 0.608, P=.001). Conclusion: The balance was better in the BG, although adolescents between 15-18 years have better balance control for the posteromedial and posterolateral reaches of the SEBT.

Acute Exposure to Normobaric Hypoxia Impairs Balance Performance in Sub-elite but Not Elite Basketball Players

“…Furthermore, the absolute reliability (e.g., within-subjects variability) obtained in both HYP and NOR was in line with previous data for similar tests (CV% = 7–8%; Pojskic et al, 2020 ). The “acceptable” values could be attributed to players having the required test-dependent motor proficiency that is developed in agility-based team sports (Curtolo et al, 2017 ). In addition, it seemed that using the omni-axial balancing board as a simple testing tool for testing balance in an upright stance, which is a natural position for basketball players, could reduce potential covariates of performance (i.e., measurement error) and consequently enable better test–retest reliability and thus the potential to attribute results to the condition (NOR vs. HYP), instead to the testing equipment or protocol (Sekulic et al, 2017 ; Pojskic et al, 2020 ).…”

“…We chose the simulated high altitude to be over 3,000 m a.s.l, as it is the altitude threshold at which reductions in SpO 2 start to detrimentally affect postural control and perceptual-motor performance (Fowler et al, 1987 ). This was to ensure that the hypoxic stimulus would be sufficient to affect balance performance in basketball players, presumed to have well-developed balance abilities (Curtolo et al, 2017 ).…”

Effect of Eight-Week Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Pattern-Based Exercises on Performance Scores and Postural Stability in Elite Men Basketball Players

“…Basketball players change rules, jump, and run, exerting a great deal of overload on the lower limbs (4,5). Therefore, balance and neuromuscular control are essential factors affecting the performance of these players (6). Balance is usually a practical component of athletic activity and considerably impacts performance in sports activities (7).…”

The relationship between static and dynamic balance in active young adults

“…However, beyond posturography based on force plate assessments, previous researchers have utilized different instruments to assess dynamic balance. Such instruments include the balance Error Scoring System [16], the jumping test [17], the Star Excursion balance Test (SEbT) [18], and the Y balance Test (YbT) [19,20]. In fact, dynamic postural control involves various dimensions that also represent the performance of proprioception, the range of motion of lower limb joints, and muscle strength.…”