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Postural sway in volleyball players
Valentina Agostini1, Emma Chiaramello, Lorenzo Canavese
1Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy. valentina.agostini@polito.it
Human Movement Science
|May 1, 2013
Summary
Volleyball players exhibit distinct postural sway compared to non-athletes, particularly with eyes open, indicating unique sensory integration for balance. This finding may aid in assessing training programs and player selection.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Postural sway is crucial for maintaining balance during quiet stance.
- Volleyball players rely on dynamic visual input and rapid reactions for performance.
- Understanding sensory integration in athletes can inform training and talent identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and compare postural sway between volleyball players and non-athlete controls.
- To investigate the role of visual input in the postural stability of athletes.
- To explore potential differences based on player level (national vs. regional) and position (defensive vs. hitter).
Main Methods:
- Measured center of pressure (CoP) in 46 volleyball players and 42 controls.
- Assessed postural sway under 10 conditions (5 eyes open, 5 eyes closed).
- Employed a multivariate data analysis approach.
Main Results:
- Volleyball players demonstrated larger CoP ellipses, suggesting altered sensory integration.
- Group differences in postural sway were significant with eyes open but not with eyes closed.
- National and defensive players showed greater differences from controls compared to regional and hitter players, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Volleyball players utilize a different sensory integration strategy for postural control.
- Visual feedback significantly influences postural sway differences between athletes and controls.
- The findings support the use of this protocol for evaluating training efficacy and player selection.
