A comparative study on different surface balance training on dyanamic postural control in collegiate female athletes

Purpose: The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different surface balance training on dynamic posture control in collegiate female athletes. Methods: The research was experimental in nature. The subjects were selected through purposive sampling. 40 female collegiate students were selected and divided into 2 groups. Group A was given star excursion balance training on stable surface and Group B was given Star Excursion Balance Training on unstable surface. Pre and post protocol assessment was done with the help of YBT on day 1st and end of the 4th week. Results: Paired and Unpaired ‘t’ test was applied for Mean and Standard Deviation (SD) comparison within and between the Group A and Group B for variable Y Balance Test (YBT). The mean±SD values of YBT within the groups were signifi cant and between the Groups, Group B was statistically signifi cant and Group A was statistically non signifi cant. The results suggest that balance training on unstable surface is more effective in improving dynamic posture control among collegiate female athletes. Conclusion: The present study determined that unstable surface elicited the greater dynamic balance improvement compared to the stable surface. No such improvement was elicited in the stable surface which concluded that Star Excursion Balance Training will be effective as a dynamic balance improvement when it is performed on an unstable surface. Research Article A comparative study on different surface balance training on dyanamic postural control in collegiate female athletes J Kaur*, Singh A and Grewal S 1Department of physiotherapy, Baba Farid University of Health Science (Faridkot), India Received: 29 June, 2020 Accepted: 04 June, 2020 Published: 07 June, 2020 *Corresponding author: Jaspreet Kaur, Department of physiotherapy, Baba Farid University of Health Science, Ludhiana, India, Tel: +919781772595 ; E-mail:


Introduction
Balance refers to an individuals ability to maintain their line of gravity within their Base of Support (BOS). It can also be described as the ability to maintain equilibrium [1]. It can either be categorised into static balance or dynamic balance. Static balance is the ability to sustain the body in static equilibrium or within its base of support. Dynamic balance has to be more challenging because it requires the ability to maintain equilibrium during a transition from a dynamic to a static state [2]. Balance performance has a fundamental role in many athletic activities and skill [3]. Maintenance of balance and stability depends on the control of joint position and motion, which heavily rely on nervous system, mainly controlled by the central nervous system, which processes the afferent visual, otolithic and somatosensory information [4].
The maintenance of balance, static or dynamic is an essential requirement for excelling in sports like soccer, basketball and gymnastics [5]. This has a large role to play in sports, especially when dynamic balance and stability have to be maintained in movement that occur at high speed. Dynamic balance is needed in sports that require stability while the athlete is in motion and are essential in highly mobile sports, in which the athlete must quickly react to changing circumstances [6]. In fact balance is "the most important component of athletic ability".
Sports demands good balance and control from athletes.
Therefore, balance problems even mild ones may affect an athlete's performance [7]. Studies revealed that sports injuries stable surface exercises are easily mastered, therefore unstable surfaces are often used after stable surfaces as a progression to make exercises more diffi cult [15]. To stimulate refl ex joint stabilization some believes that activities should focus on the sudden alterations in joint position. Unstable surfaces provide sudden alteration in joint to stimulate refl ex joint stabilization this makes training more dynamic and possibly applicable to sporting context [16,17]. Unstable surfaces require an increase lower leg muscle activity and proprioception during standing to a much greater extent than a rigid fl oor [18]. Unstable surface training will enhance performance via improvement of balance, kinesthetic sense, proprioception, and gradation of force because all movement requires both stability and mobility, it is valuable to train the two qualities simultaneously. Unstable surface training aims to develop afferent effi ciency to reduce injury risk and improve the performance such training may help to establish proper agonist-antagonist co-contraction for the joint stability and improve rate of force development [19].
Balance training on an unstable surface may help to decrease the risk of subsequent injury for individuals who have suffered an ankle or knee injury [20].
Star excursion balance test which is usually used for dynamic balance assessment is composed of closed kinematic chain controlled motion and ability to balance on one leg. This can be used as a proprioception, coordination and balance training.
The Star Excursion Balance Training (SEBT) implanted with both eyes open and eyes closed paradigms was shown to be more effective to restore functional stability than conventional therapy after ankle sprain [21,22]. Similarly a 4 week balance specifi c training program may benefi t the athletes suffering from chronic ankle instability [23]. In addition 6 week of balance training using either a mini trampoline or a dura disc tool may improve stability in athletes suffering from lateral ankle sprain [24]. Previously many studies were conducted to fi nd out the training program for improvement of balance of athletes. Main purpose of the present study is to fi nd out the more effective training protocol to improve balance which help in prevention of injuries and increase the level of performance.
There are few studies to our knowledge in which SEBT was used as a training, to improve the dynamic postural stability on stable surface in case of ankle sprain, however No study has been done that compares the effect of star excursion balance training on stable and unstable surfaces in improving dynamic balance. Therefore this study was required to determine whether training on different (stable or unstable) surfaces elicits greater dynamic postural stability improvement among collegiate athletes.

Materials and methods
The research was experimental in nature. The subjects were Drinking alcohol or any drug abuse that could affect balance within 24 before testing had been excluded from the study.

Procedure
Total 40 subjects were selected through purposive sampling

Results
Data was meaningfully assorted through calculation of Mean and Standard Deviation. Later on Paired 't' test was applied for comparison within the Groups A and Group B for YBT. Thereafter, Unpaired 't' test was applied for comparison between the Group A and Group B for YBT. The level of signifi cance was fi xed at p<0.05.

Discussion
Data was analyzed through paired 't' test for comparison within the Group A amd within Group B, which was statistically signifi cant.

The result of Group A who performed Star Excursion
Balance Training on unstable surface came out to be signifi cant.
Findings of this effect are in agreement with the study done by Sabin indicated that performance during the SEBT, as measured by reach distance, is greater on a stable surface than on an unstable surface in all directions with non signifi cant results only in the anterior direction [27]. The neurophysiology behind this is the somatosensory mechanism of postural control. An unstable testing surface has been speculated to challenge the somatosensory mechanism by increasing the diffi culty to maintain balance so the results were signifi cant on a stable surface than on unstable surface. The different muscles activated during the reach as proposed by Earl and Hertel who found that each reach direction activated the stance lower extremity muscles to a different extent. They reported that in the anterior reach direction the vastus medialis and lateralis were most active. During the posterolateral reach, the biceps femoris and anterior tibialis were most active. The anterior tibialis was most active in the posteromedial reach direction [28].  [29]. Moreover in addition, exercising on an unstable surface increases postural sway, further promoting

Conclusion
The present study determined that unstable surface elicited the greater dynamic balance improvement compared to the stable surface. No such improvement was elicited in the stable surface. But it is also important to investigate the potentially important role of arm movements on postural stability, which will be valuable in elucidating some of the fundamental aspects of postural control.
This study concluded that Star Excursion Balance Training will be effective as a dynamic balance improvement when it is performed on an unstable surface. There are some Limitation to this study, Small sample size. Study was conducted for shorter duration and long time effects were not noted. Study shows the effect within age limit of 17-24 years which does not prove the effects with other age limit. The study only includes a confi ned area of population. The arm movements were not included in this study which plays a great role in postural stability.

Future scope of the study
In present study the sample size was small. In future,