Does Sixteen Weeks of Progressive, Age-specific Balance Exercises Have a Positive Effect on the Balance of Prepubescent Male Wrestlers?

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

2 Department of Motor Behavior and Sport Biomechanics, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

10.32598/SJRM.13.6.3288

Abstract

Background and Aims Wrestling techniques are mainly based on continuous displacements, pushes and pulls, with the overall goal of maintaining own balance and disrupting the opponent's balance. The balance related systems are matured during adolescence. The level of balance training in prepubescent athletes is not well-defined. The present study aims to investigate the effect of age-focused balance exercises using functional tests tailored to the wrestling sport on the balance of prepubescent male wrestlers.
Methods In this study, participants were 28 boys aged 11-16 years in two groups of 18 wrestlers (training groups) and 10 non-wrestlers (control group). The training group performed age-focused balance exercises for 16 weeks, three times a week. The intensity, duration and type of balance exercises were changed every week. The control group was used to control balance changes during four months. The balance parameters including distance and surface area of the center of pressure (COP) movement were measured in the guard position immediately after 25-30 seconds of perturbation by a foot scan plate. The independent t-test was used to examine the statistical differences between the two groups. Statistical calculations were performed in SPSS software, version 27. The significance level was set at 0.05.
Results Results of the independent t-test showed that the wrestling group had a significant improvement in the surface area for the COP displacement compared to the non-wrestling group (17.60 vs 9.06 cm; P<0.001), while the distance of the COP displacement did not show a significant difference between the two groups (P=0.13).
Conclusion The age-specific balance exercises can lead to a significant improvement in the balance of prepubescent male wrestlers. If these wrestlers regularly perform these balance exercises, they will show greater improvement in balance and may perform wrestling techniques better.

Keywords

Main Subjects

The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
Volume 13, Issue 6
March and April 2025
Pages 1150-1163

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 09 August 2024
  • Revise Date: 29 September 2024
  • Accept Date: 30 October 2024
  • First Publish Date: 30 October 2024

Share

How to cite

Statistics