Balance and cyclic rapidity adaptations in children aged from 6 to 11 after proprioceptive or coordinative training

Balance and cyclic rapidity adaptations in children aged from 6 to 11 after proprioceptive or coordinative training F.M. Botti1,2, A. Brunetti3, M. Procenesi2, A. Biscarini2, O. Brunetti1,2 1Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Human Physiology,University of Perugia, Italy 2LAMS, Perugia, Italy, 3Department of Orthopaedic, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation University of Perugia, Italy We compared the effect of a proprioceptive or a coordinative training on balance, cyclic rapidity and leg power in 59 children of age between 6 and 11. They were randomly assigned to a proprioceptive training (13 males, 19 females), or to a coordinative program (14 males 13 emales). The training sessions were performed twice a week for two months,. The motor capacities were measured one day before and one after the training period. Balance was evaluated as Center of Foot Pressure velocity (CFPv) in bipodal stance tests with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC). Rapidity was measured as foot contacts during a 15” “run in place” task; force as jump height in squat and countermovement jumps (SJ, CMJ). The results were statistically analyzed for the effects of age, gender, and training, the modifications were assumed significant if p < 0.05. Provided that no significant difference was found between males and females, the following results! are reported as mean values and SD independently of gender. In addiction, since proprioceptive training only determined significant effects, the post-training data refer exclusively to this intervention type. SJ and CMJ, showed an age-related linear increment (20±5cm at age 6, 28±7cm at age 11 for CMJ; 16.5±6cm and 26±5cm at age 6 and 11 respectively for SJ). No effect of training was observed on these variables. CFPv in EC ranged from 1860±260mm/min. at age 6, to 1280±175mm/min. at age 11. In EO CFPv was 1370±150 mm/min. and 1100±175mm/min. at age 6 and 11 respectively. CFPv exhibited an high rate of decrement between age 6 and 9 followed by a flat trend between age 9 and 11, data distribution could be fitted an exponential decay curve. The ratio between EC and EO CFPv (Romberg Quotient RQ) resulted higher (1.25±0.17) in early ages and decreased to 1.09±0.15 at age11. The proprioceptive training induced a 10% CFPv decrease in EC and 5% in EO. Rapidity values increased linearly with age, the contacts ranged from 27±8 to 56 ±12 for age 6 and 11respectively; a 22% posttraining increment was observed. In! conclusion beside the linear increments in leg power and in cyclic rapidity, these results evidence a nonlinear profile in the development of balance control that reaches stable performances at age 8-9. As suggested by RQ profile, an increased efficiency in non-visual cues processing may be the substrate of the improved postural performances. The different efficacy between prorprioceptive and cohordinative training may be explained considering that proprioceptive exercises are performed under posturally demanding conditions requiring continuous closed loop corrections, the concomitant intense multisensory self-motion signals may stimulate the adaptation of the control system.