Core Stability and Athletic Performance in Male and Female Lacrosse Players

This study determined the relationship of core stability with power production, agility, and dynamic stability of collegiate lacrosse players and whether core stability is more evident in these performance variables in either males or females. Twenty male and female collegiate lacrosse players (20.3 ± 1.0 years, 173.2 ± 11.8 cm, 72.6 ± 13.0 kg) performed the pro-agility shuttle, the countermovement jump (CMJ), the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), and prone, right lateral, and left lateral planks on two sessions-familiarization and testing. Independent T-tests were used to compare sexes. SPSS 24.0 was used; significance was accepted at p < 0.05. Pearson correlations were used to compare the relationship of core stability to the performance variables in participants. There was a significant relationship found between the prone plank and pro-agility shuttle in all participants (r = -0.50). No significant relationships were found between core stability and performance variables. A significant difference was found in the pro-agility shuttle (p = 0.001) and the CMJ (p = 0.001) but not in core stability or dynamic stability. Agility, power production, and dynamic stability were not related to core stability in neither male or female lacrosse players. There were no significant differences in core stability and dynamic stability between males and females. A significant difference was found in dynamic stability in the SEBT right leg and left leg composite scores between sexes. From these results, it is suggested that core stability may not directly influence the performance variables in collegiate male and female lacrosse players.