Judo, better than dance, develops sensorimotor adaptabilities involved in balance control.
OBJECTIVE
Training allows sportsmen to acquire new balance control abilities, possibly differing according to the discipline practised. We compared, by means of static and dynamic posturographic tests, the postural skills of high-level judoists, professional dancers and controls, in order to determine whether these sports improved postural control.


RESULTS
With eyes open, judoists and dancers performed better than controls, indicating a positive effect of training on sensorimotor adaptabilities. Yet, with eyes closed, only judoists retained a significantly better stance.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that the practice of a high-skill activity involving proprioceptive afferences especially improves both performance and balance control.
Perrin
Philippe
P
Equilibration et Performance Motrice, UFR STAPS, University Henri Poincaré - Nancy 1, 30 rue du Jardin Botanique, 54 600 Villers-les-Nancy, France. philippe.perrin@staps.uhp-nancy.fr
Deviterne
Dominique
D
Hugel
Francine
F
Perrot
Cyril
C
D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003615:Dancing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016139:Martial Arts; D004856:Postural Balance; D011187:Posture; D011597:Psychomotor Performance