Altered force ratio in unanticipated side jumps after treadmill run

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Postural control is crucial for athletic performance and injury prevention.
• Fatigue can significantly impact motor control and increase injury risk.
• Understanding fatigue effects on dynamic postural control informs training and rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a run at the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) on postural control during jumps with unanticipated changes of direction.
• To compare the effects of IAT running on dynamic postural control between trained and recreational athletes.

Main Methods:

• Controlled prospective cohort study with an intervention conducted in a biomechanics laboratory.
• Participants included 18 elite female handball/volleyball players and 24 recreational athletes (16 female, 8 male).
• A jump test involving a forward jump with a sideways change of direction was performed before and at intervals after a 30-minute run at IAT, measuring dynamic postural control via force plate analysis.

Main Results:

• Dynamic postural control was significantly reduced at 1 and 5 minutes post-run in both trained and recreational athletes, indicated by an increased force ratio.
• The relative impairment in dynamic postural control did not differ significantly between the groups.
• Recovery of dynamic postural control was observed within 10 minutes after the run.

Conclusions:

• Running at the individual anaerobic threshold induces temporary fatigue that impairs dynamic postural control during directional changes.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering fatigue in training programs for high-level ball sport athletes to mitigate lower limb injury risk.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the preventive effects of training interventions based on these findings.