The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of short-term Swiss ball training on core stability and running economy. Eighteen young male athletes (15.5 + 1.4 years; 62.5 ± 4.7 kg; !9 skinfolds 78.9 + 28.2 mm; VO2max 55.3 = 5.7 ml.kg 1.min 1) were divided into a control (n = 10) and experimental (n = 8) groups. Athletes were assessed before and after the training program for stature, body mass, core stability, electromyographic activity of the abdominal and back muscles, treadmill VO2max, running economy, and running posture. The experimentall group performed 2 Swiss ball training sessions per week for 6 weeks. Data analysis revealed a significant effect of Swiss ball training on core stability in the experimental group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed for myoelectric activity of the abdominal and back muscles, treadmill VO2max, running economy, or running posture in either group. It appears Swiss ball training may positively affect core stability without concomitant improvements in physical performance in young athletes. Specificity of exercise selection should be considered.
Funding
Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)
History
Volume
18
Issue
3
Start Page
522
End Page
528
Number of Pages
7
ISSN
1064-8011
Location
Lawrence, KS, USA
Publisher
Alliance Communications Group
Language
en-aus
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Open Access
No
External Author Affiliations
Ball State University; Faculty of Arts, Health and Sciences;