Quality of balance and pressure distribution beneath the foot during double-leg stance in young women

Abstract

Introduction: One from the important preconditions for optimal performance of all physical activities is a good quality of balance. Aim of Study: The study is focusing to find out the effect of pressure distribution beneath the foot on the balance and to compare the quality of balance in physically active and inactive young women. Material and Methods: Subjects of our study were two groups of healthy young women. A: physically active women (n=28; age 21.5 years; physical activity 8.8 hour/week), B: physically inactive (n=28; age 22,0 years; physical activity 1.3 hour/week). Three balance test we carried out: double-leg stance, eyes open (EO) and closed (EC) for 30 second, one-leg stance (right, left) for 10 second. Pressure walkway (FDM system, fi. Zebris) was used for data collection. Parameters: COPv: velocity of centre of pressure (mm/s), relative value of average pressure beneath the foot (%). Results: We found out that a physically active group of young women have significantly better results in all tests (p≤0.05). Both groups showed a similar tendency for significant deterioration of the results when elimination the support surface or the visual sensor in relation to the basic OE test. The differences in the distribution of pressures between the groups were significant in the M-L directions. Inactive women significantly more loaded the non-preferred leg and the rear part of the foot. Active women showed a more balanced stance in both directions, with a slight tendency to increase the loading on the front part of foot. Conclusion: It was confirmed that the group B has a partly worse characteristics of balance than physically active peers. The foot load strategy was less favourable for the group B; during EO. Only two interesting correlations were found in active women; between COPv and ratio of feet load. Remaining correlations to COPv were low.