Stable and Unstable Load Carriage Effects on the Postural Control of Older Adults

INFLUENCE OF CORE TRAINING ON THE ABILITY OF CONTROL AND BALANCE IN SURFERS

ABSTRACT Introduction Surfing depends mainly on the driving force resulting from wave oscillations. Athletes need to paddle in the wave zone and complete the competition actions in the most robust section on the wave walls. This requires extreme balance skills, which can be strengthened with specific training. Among them, it is believed that core training could be beneficial. Objective To study the influence of training on a stable and unstable platform on the regulation of the surfer’s orthostatic posture under balance disturbance. Methods Members of the Hainan National Surf Training Team were volunteers for the experiment; their physical training methods, memory training, and effects evaluation were analyzed. Results 90% of athletes manage to complete the balance control in a short-term autonomous position on the balance board in 1 week; their progress also depends on the training duration, times, and intervals; the progression rule lies according to the literary theory of sports training. Conclusion With the further extension of the balance board training cycle, it is believed that athletes’ ability to control balance and real competition comprehensive capabilities will continue to increase, the overall technical level and stability of their performance will be even greater. Evidence level II; Therapeutic Studies - Investigating the results.

Nonlinear Analyses Distinguish Load Carriage Dynamics in Walking and Standing: A Systematic Review

Load carriage experiments are typically performed from a linear perspective that assumes that movement variability is equivalent to error or noise in the neuromuscular system. A complimentary, nonlinear perspective that treats variability as the object of study has generated important results in movement science outside load carriage settings. To date, no systematic review has yet been conducted to understand how load carriage dynamics change from a nonlinear perspective. The goal of this systematic review is to fill that need. Relevant literature was extracted and reviewed for general trends involving nonlinear perspectives on load carriage. Nonlinear analyses that were used in the reviewed studies included sample, multiscale, and approximate entropy; the Lyapunov exponent; fractal analysis; and relative phase. In general, nonlinear tools successfully distinguish between unloaded and loaded conditions in standing and walking, although not in a consistent manner. The Lyapunov exponent and entropy were the most used nonlinear methods. Two noteworthy findings are that entropy in quiet standing studies tends to decrease, whereas the Lyapunov exponent in walking studies tends to increase, both due to added load. Thus, nonlinear analyses reveal altered load carriage dynamics, demonstrating promise in applying a nonlinear perspective to load carriage while also underscoring the need for more research.

The Relationship between Postural Control and Muscle Quality in Older Adults

This study aimed to determine relationships between muscle quality, the ratio of muscle strength to muscle mass, and postural control and compare postural control of older adults with higher and lower muscle quality. Twenty-five older adults had leg muscle quality and postural control with eyes open and closed measured. Linear and non-linear postural control variables were calculated from center of pressure movements. There was a significant canonical correlation between muscle quality and sway complexity, but no relationship between muscle quality and sway magnitude. Higher muscle quality older adults had greater medio-lateral sway complexity than lower muscle quality older adults. These findings suggest that higher muscle quality relates to greater sway complexity in older adults, suggesting maintenance of muscle quality should be considered important to attenuate postural control declines.