The Influence of Physical Load on Dynamic Postural Control-A Systematic Replication Study

Dynamic postural control is challenged during many actions in sport such as when landing or cutting. A decrease of dynamic postural control is one possible risk factor for non-contact injuries. Moreover, these injuries mainly occur under loading conditions. Hence, to assess an athlete's injury risk properly, it is essential to know how dynamic postural control is influenced by physical load. Therefore, the study's objective was to examine the influence of maximal anaerobic load on dynamic postural control. Sixty-four sport students (32 males and 32 females, age: 24.11 ± 2.42, height: 175.53 ± 8.17 cm, weight: 67.16 ± 10.08 kg) were tested with the Y-Balance Test before and after a Wingate Anaerobic Test on a bicycle ergometer. In both legs, reach distances (anterior) and composite scores were statistically significantly reduced immediately after the loading protocol. The values almost returned to pre-load levels in about 20 min post-load. Overall, findings indicate an acute negative effect of load on dynamic postural control and a higher potential injury risk during a period of about 20 min post-load. To assess an athlete's sports-specific injury risk, we recommend testing dynamic postural control under loaded conditions.