Postural Control and Neuromuscular Activation in 11–13-Year-Old Athletic Boy Swimmers

Abstract

Objective: This study compared postural control and neuromuscular activation in athletic swimmers (A-S) and non-athletic swimmers (N-A-S) in older children. Methods: Ten A-S and ten N-A-S underwent assessments of center of pressure (CoP) parameters under static and dynamic surfaces in two directions (dynamic mediolateral (DML) and dynamic anteroposterior (DAP)) in eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) conditions, and electromyography (EMG) parameters under DAP and DML directions in EO and EC conditions. Results: Results showed that A-S demonstrated significantly superior postural control (p < 0.05), with smaller CoP area and lower CoP mean velocity compared with N-A-S, particularly in static with EC, DAP with EO and EC, and DML with EO conditions. A-S exhibited significantly larger neuromuscular activation amplitudes (p < 0.05), especially in the AP direction. Conclusions: These findings suggested that athletic swimming training may enhance postural control and neuromuscular activation in 11–13-year-old children, emphasizing the potential benefits of incorporating swimming exercises in these children.