Postural Balance in Football Players with Different Types of Autonomic Regulation When Performing the Romberg Test

The study is relevant due to the importance of a high level of postural balance and optimal autonomic regulation in football players’ athletic activity, as well as due to the lack of such comprehensive research. The purpose of the article was to study postural balance maintenance during the Romberg test on a stabilometric platform in football players with different types of autonomic heart rate regulation. Materials and methods. The research involved 100 football players. Based on the cardiointervalograms recorded initially, the participants were divided into groups according to the types of autonomic regulation. Further, centre of pressure fluctuations on the platform were recorded while maintaining a vertical posture with eyes open (54 s) and closed (54 s). Results. Football players with the normotonic and vagotonic types of autonomic regulation are characterized by a higher level of postural balance maintenance in the position with eyes open. In the position with eyes closed, a higher level of postural balance maintenance was found in football players with the vagotonic type of autonomic regulation. The normotonic and vagotonic types of autonomic regulation in football players can be considered optimal for effective posture maintenance under simple conditions, as well as for a normal course of compensatory-adaptive rearrangements in the body and successful adaptation to complicated posture maintenance conditions. The results obtained in this study broaden the current understanding of the postural control system in football players, as well as of the role of the type of autonomic regulation in maintaining postural balance under complicated conditions.