ARTICOLI ORIGINALI   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2014 April;173(4):197-206

Copyright © 2014 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Core Stability Training Program (CSTP) effects on static and dynamic balance abilities

Dello Iacono A. ¹, Martone D. ^{1, 2}, Alfieri A. ^{1, 2, 3}, Ayalon M. ⁴, Buono P. ^{1, 2, 3}

¹ Dipartimento di Studi delle Istituzioni e dei Sistemi Territoriali (DiSIST), University “Parthenope”, Naples, Italy; ² CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate S.CA.R.L., Naples, Italy; ³ DBBM, University “Federico II”, Naples, Italy; ⁴ Zinman College, Wingate Institute, Natanya, Israel

AIM: The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of 4-weeks core stability exercises on balance control in soccer players. We hypothesized that the intervention of the core stability training program (CSTP) would improve the variables assessed suggesting that higher levels of balance could be developed by its regular practice.
METHODS: Twenty young male soccer players (18.5±1.1 years, 1.70±0.10 m, 73.76±10.44 kg), randomly assigned to intervention group (IG; N.=10) and control group (CG; N.=10), participated in the study. The IG, in addition to standard soccer training program, daily performed a CSTP (5 times a week for 4 weeks); the protocol included 11 exercises that were designed to reproduce different moments wherein athletes are required to control and manage whole body balance by contribution of core muscles; Static and dynamic balance control were assessed before and after the training program.
RESULTS: The results of two-way analysis of variance (P=0.05) and multiple comparison tests for balance parameters highlighted a significant training-by-group interaction for the same parameters after 4 weeks.
CONCLUSION: CSTP significantly improved the static and dynamic balance parameters.