Postural control profile of amateur rugby players

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Injuries during rugby training or competitions might disrupt the sensory and motor systems that affect postural control. However, no study has explored the sensory organisation and reactive balance control of rugby players. This study compared (1) the sensory organisation of balance control and (2) reactive balance control, of amateur rugby players and active individuals. METHODS: Forty-one amateur rugby players (22 males and 19 females; mean age ± SD: 21.4 ± 2.1 years) and thirty-one young active individuals (22 males and 9 females; mean age ± SD: 20.6 ± 0.9 years) completed the measurements in the study. Their sensory organisation and bipedal standing balance performance were evaluated using a sensory organisation test (SOT), and their reactive balance performance was assessed using a motor control test (MCT). The major outcome measures were the SOT equilibrium scores (ES) and sensory ratios and the MCT motor response latencies. RESULTS: Rugby players had lower SOT ESs under different sensory environments (all P < 0.001) and prolonged reactive motor response times in the MCT (P < 0.001) compared to the active controls. The SOT vestibular and visual ratios were also lower in the rugby group (P = 0.005). However, no significant between-group difference was found in the somatosensory ratio (P = 0.853). DISCUSSION: Rugby players demonstrated inferior standing balance performance compared to their non-trained counterparts. They relied less heavily on vestibular and visual information to maintain standing balance under sensorial challenging environments. Additionally, they reacted more slowly to postural threat, reflecting their suboptimal reactive balance ability in upright standing.