Does Balance Fluctuates Depending on Leg Dominance? A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Falls due to altered balance are a worldwide health issue. Various components are involved in maintaining postural stability, such as the base of support, integration of sensory information, and the ability of the body to adapt to perturbations. Understanding balance strategies and components is imperative for rehabilitation when stability is affected. Purpose: This study aimed to characterize the balance distinction between left and right leg dominance and identify postural adaptations during left and right rotations in young healthy adults. Method: This study assessed single-leg stance on a firm surface, clockwise (right), and counterclockwise (left) rotation on a balance board with a fixed middle fulcrum on 70 health young adults participants, 7 males and 63 females aged 25 ± 4.66 SD (37 left leg dominant and 32 right leg dominant). Accelerometer and gyroscope sensors were used to capture the total sway area, medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions, velocities, and distances. Results: The MANOVA revealed similarities in the left and right single stance balance. The comparison of clockwise rotations versus counterclockwise rotations showed a significant increase in sway and distance in the anteroposterior (AP) direction while rotating towards the left or CCW (P<0.05). The comparison of right-leg dominant versus left-leg dominant during CW rotation revealed a significantly increased sway and distance of sway in the ML direction (P<0.05) for individuals with right-leg dominance when compared to their left-leg dominant counterparts during CW rotations. Conclusion: The current study found distinctions in balance adaptation or changes within the central nervous system to compensate for an increase in sway during counterclockwise rotation. Furthermore, individuals with right leg dominance had increased difficulty in maintaining stable sway during clockwise rotational movements. Clinicians should consider examining rotational adaptations or one’s ability to make alterations within the central nervous system during rotational movements to maintain the center of mass within the base of support in balance activities which compromise postural control.

The Influence of Energy Drinks on Lower Limb Muscle Fatigue and Recovery in Healthy Young Adults

“…Although the current study randomized the starting limb, it's still possible that testing the dominant leg post-drink could have altered our results since the dominant leg is more muscular and, therefore, stronger (Lanshammar & Ribom, 2011). However, the current study based the randomized limb protocol on the previously established understanding that postural adaptations during single limb support are similar in both extremities regardless of their dominance (Bowman & Rosario, 2021).…”

The Effects of Blood Flow Restriction on Lower Extremity EMG Amplitude While Performing a Resisted Sled Push in Healthy Subjects

“…Drawing upon the research conducted by Rosario et al, (2021Rosario et al, ( & 2020, we designed two working hypotheses. Our initial assumption was that the incorporation of BFR would result in a noticeable rise in the minimal, average, and maximal EMG amplitudes while walking at both 80 and 140 beats per minute.…”

“…A quick posteriorly directed perturbation was applied to the subject's torso to determine the subject's dominant leg, while the subject was unaware of it. Whichever lower extremity was used for the stepping strategy was deemed the dominant leg (Bowman & Rosario et al, 2021). The subject was then prepped for the trials by cleaning the skin where the electrodes were to be placed with an alcohol wipe, weighing it, and measuring it for height, initial blood pressure, and circumference of the proximal thigh region.…”

“…Electromyography (EMG) has been extensively used during resistive exercise, as evidenced by numerous studies conducted, such as Barnes et al, (2018), Freitas et al, (2020), andRosario et al, (2022). Maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) is an evaluation approach extensively used with EMG in various studies (Mason et al, 2018;Owens et al, 2020;Rosario et al, 2021). Researchers often use EMG to capture muscle activation during functional activities to better understand muscle patterns and propose treatment or rehabilitation approaches (Barnes et al, 2018;Freitas et al, 2020;Rosario et al, 2022).…”

“…Our study attempted to analyze how adding BFR affects the activation firing pattern of six LE muscles during sled-resistant walking activity. Based on the work of Rosario et al, (2021), our first hypothesis was that adding BFR would increase the minimal, average, and maximal EMG amplitudes at walking speeds of 80 and 140 bpm. Our second approach was to analyze the effect of the BFR when comparing two different walking speeds.…”