Effect of fatigue on postural sway in sport-specific positions of young rhythmic gymnasts

Background In rhythmic gymnastics, balance represents a key element in achieving optimal performance. However, there is a lack of data on the modalities with which postural control is impaired by fatigue originated by actual competitive performance. Aims Thisstudyaimstoanalyzetheeffectoffatigueconsequenttoacompetitiveperformanceonstaticbalanceofrhythmic gymnasts (quantitatively assessed by means of postural sway analysis) for several sport-specific positions. Methods Fifteen rhythmic gymnasts (mean age 12.7 years) who compete at national and regional levels participated in the study. Their balance was assessed before and after a 90 s performance for 4 unipedal positions (i.e., “ring with hand support”, “back split without hand support”, “arabesque”, and “split with hand support”) using a pressure platform. Center-of-pressure (COP) time series acquired for 10 s was processed to calculate sway area, COP path length, and COP displacements in the antero-posterior and medio-lateral directions. Results After the performance, a generalized increase in postural sway was detected for all the positions tested, with the exception of “arabesque”. Sway area doubled for most positions after the performance, while fatigue appears to have a reduced effect on COP displacements in the ML direction, which were found significantly increased only for the “split with hand support” position. Conclusions Thephysicaleffortassociatedwiththeperformanceinfluencestheeffectivenessoftheposturalcontrolsystem. Coaches could include specific balance exercises even when gymnasts are fatigued to improve their adaptations to competi- tive conditions and reduce the risk of injuries.