Postural ability reflects the athletic skill level of surfers

Abstract

This work analyses surfers' postural control and their use of visual information in static (stable) and dynamic (unstable) postures according to their level of competition. Two groups of healthy surfers were investigated: a group of local level surfers (LOC) (n = 8) and a group of national/international level surfers (NIN) (n = 9). Posture was assessed by measuring the centre of foot pressure with a force platform for 50 s with stable support and for 25 s with unstable support (sagittal or frontal plane). The tests were completed with the eyes open (the subjects looked at a fixed level target at a distance of 2 m) and closed (they kept their gaze in a straight-ahead direction). Results showed that the contribution of vision in postural maintenance, with unstable support was less important in the NIN surfers than in the LOC surfers and that the NIN surfers had better postural control than the LOC surfers. Firstly, the results suggest that expert surfers could shift the sensorimotor dominance from vision to proprioception for postural maintenance. Secondly, there is a relationship between the postural ability and the competition level of surfers. These observations are likely to induce new prospects of training for surfers.

Postural stability of canoeing and kayaking young male athletes during quiet stance

“…While standing on a stable support, the athletes show less visual dependence and increased sway velocity, as compared to the non-athletes. The lesser visual dependence on the standing balance of athletes is in line with similar findings for the expert surfers (Paillard et al 2010) and 13-year-old soccer players (Bieć and Kuczyński 2010). To explain these and other results obtained from the standing balance of athletes, however, one must bear in mind that actually the athletes' sport practice is instrumented (e.g.…”

PPeak oxygen uptake differentiates competitive from recreational male surfboard riders

“…Several studies have shown that increases in training intensity or training until exhaustion is accompanied by a decrease in motor ability and reduction of postural control. For these reasons higher values of VT may delay the onset of fatigue and preserve psychomotor skills therefore reducing errors (Guidetti, Franciosi, Gallotta, Emerenziani, & Baldari, 2011;MendezVillanueva, et al, 2005;Paillard, Margnes, Portet, & Breucq, 2011). Our study supported the fact that higher values of LT may delay fatigue and its effects on performance outcome.…”

“…Probably ES are able to delay the effects of fatigue therefore preserving the coordinative and motor skills essential to surfing and reducing the occurrence of errors that can lead to poor decisions that influence the outcome on competition (MendezVillanueva & Bishop, 2005). Accordingly, the exercise intensity or duration to fatigue has been shown to be accompanied by a reduction motor ability and psychomotor skills (Guidetti et al, 2011;Paillard et al, 2011).…”

Descripción del Somatotipo y Cualidades Físicas de Varones Surfistas Experimentados Chilenos

“…El control postural de la muestra evaluada, es muy similar al descrito en otras muestras de surfistas. De este modo la velocidad del CdP registrada en el presente estudio (7,3 mm/s), fue parecida a la registrada por Paillard et al (2011) (8 mm/s), y algo más alta que la informada por Frank et al (2009) (4 mm/s). Por otro lado, el área del centro de presión registrada en la presente muestra (68,1 mm 2 ), fue menor que la registrada por Paillard et al (125 mm 2 ).…”