Sofia Ryman Augustsson1,2, Jenny Nae3, Magnus Karlsson4, Tomas Peterson5, Per Wollmer6,7, Eva Ageberg3. 1. Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Linnaeus University, SE-391 82, Kalmar, Sweden. sofia.rymanaugustsson@lnu.se. 2. Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. sofia.rymanaugustsson@lnu.se. 3. Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. 4. Clinical and Molecular Osteoporosis Research Unit, Department of Orthopedics and Clinical Sciences, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. 5. Faculty of Education and Society, Department of Sport Sciences, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. 6. Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. 7. Department of Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Studies investigating postural orientation in uninjured youth athletes are scarce. Understanding how postural orientation during functional performance tests change with age in uninjured athletes has the potential to enhance awareness of changes in performance after injury and to set realistic goals for injured athletes. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore postural orientation during functional tasks at early adolescence, and changes in postural orientation from early to middle adolescence and relate this to sex, type of sport and right leg lean body mass (RLLBM). METHODS: In this cohort study 144 (38% female) youth athletes (mean age 13.5 years, SD 0.3) were included at baseline and 86 of these at follow up 2 years later. Four functional performance tests were visually evaluated for Postural Orientation Errors (POEs) with an ordinal scale, ranging from 0 (good) to 2 (poor), yielding a maximum total POE score of 51, and RLLBM by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Improvements were observed in the total POE score from baseline to follow-up, median difference - 10 and - 7 (p < 0.001) for female and male athletes, respectively. At follow-up, female athletes had lower total POE score (median 18) than males (median 24) (p = 0.01). There were no differences in POE scores between sports type (team, individual, aesthetic) (p = 0.20-0.98) and no relationship between total POE score and RLLBM (rs = 0.09, p = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: POEs appear to be quite common in young athletic population, but improvements are achieved over time. At mid-adolescence, female athletes seem to have less POEs than males. Neither sport type nor RLLBM seem to influence postural orientation.
BACKGROUND: Studies investigating postural orientation in uninjured youth athletes are scarce. Understanding how postural orientation during functional performance tests change with age in uninjured athletes has the potential to enhance awareness of changes in performance after injury and to set realistic goals for injured athletes. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore postural orientation during functional tasks at early adolescence, and changes in postural orientation from early to middle adolescence and relate this to sex, type of sport and right leg lean body mass (RLLBM). METHODS: In this cohort study 144 (38% female) youth athletes (mean age 13.5 years, SD 0.3) were included at baseline and 86 of these at follow up 2 years later. Four functional performance tests were visually evaluated for Postural Orientation Errors (POEs) with an ordinal scale, ranging from 0 (good) to 2 (poor), yielding a maximum total POE score of 51, and RLLBM by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Improvements were observed in the total POE score from baseline to follow-up, median difference - 10 and - 7 (p < 0.001) for female and male athletes, respectively. At follow-up, female athletes had lower total POE score (median 18) than males (median 24) (p = 0.01). There were no differences in POE scores between sports type (team, individual, aesthetic) (p = 0.20-0.98) and no relationship between total POE score and RLLBM (rs = 0.09, p = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS:POEs appear to be quite common in young athletic population, but improvements are achieved over time. At mid-adolescence, female athletes seem to have less POEs than males. Neither sport type nor RLLBM seem to influence postural orientation.
Authors: Michael F Bergeron; Margo Mountjoy; Neil Armstrong; Michael Chia; Jean Côté; Carolyn A Emery; Avery Faigenbaum; Gary Hall; Susi Kriemler; Michel Léglise; Robert M Malina; Anne Marte Pensgaard; Alex Sanchez; Torbjørn Soligard; Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen; Willem van Mechelen; Juanita R Weissensteiner; Lars Engebretsen Journal: Br J Sports Med Date: 2015-07 Impact factor: 13.800