Leg Dominance Effects on Postural Control When Performing Challenging Balance Exercises

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Motor Control
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Leg dominance, the preferential use of one leg, is linked to neural asymmetries.
• Assessing leg dominance effects on motor behavior during balance tasks is challenging.
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) offers a novel approach to analyze complex movement patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of leg dominance on the coordinative structure and control characteristics of unipedal balancing.
• To differentiate between effects on overall movement coordination (H1) versus specific movement components (H2).
• To identify potential asymmetries in neuromuscular control related to leg dominance.

Main Methods:

• Marker-based motion tracking of 26 healthy adults performing unipedal stance on an unstable board.
• Randomized trials on dominant and non-dominant legs, with leg dominance defined by kicking leg.
• Application of PCA to kinematic data to identify principal movements (PMs) and analyze their control via acceleration.

Main Results:

• Results were inconclusive regarding leg dominance effects on the overall coordinative structure of balancing (H1).
• Significant differences (p = 0.005) in the control of PM3, a diagonal plane movement component, were observed between dominant and non-dominant legs (H2 supported).
• This suggests leg dominance specifically impacts the control of diagonal plane movements during balance.

Conclusions:

• Leg dominance exerts a discernible influence on the control characteristics of specific movement components during unipedal balancing.
• The findings support the need to incorporate leg dominance considerations into assessments and training of lower-limb neuromuscular control.
• Particular attention should be directed towards diagonal plane movements when evaluating or enhancing balance control related to leg dominance.