Five‐day ski camp could enhance postural stability in young adults: A quasi‐experimental study

This study investigated whether a 5‐day ski camp could improve postural stability in young adults. It was hypothesized that skiing would reduce postural sway. In this quasi‐experimental design, 43 undergraduate students who participated in a 5‐day ski camp (approximately 20 h of skiing) were compare...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysiological reports Vol. 13; no. 16
Main Authors Horváth, Áron, Béki, Piroska, Bősze, Júlia Patakiné, Koncz, Ádám, Szabo, Attila, Köteles, Ferenc
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.08.2025
John Wiley and Sons Inc
Subjects
Balance
Injuries
Interoception: Hidden Senses
Monte Carlo simulation
multisensory integration
Nervous system
Normal distribution
Original
postural control
postural stability
Posture
Proprioception
Sample size
Sensory integration
ski camp
Skiing
Software
Statistical analysis
Students
Vestibular system
Young adults
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:This study investigated whether a 5‐day ski camp could improve postural stability in young adults. It was hypothesized that skiing would reduce postural sway. In this quasi‐experimental design, 43 undergraduate students who participated in a 5‐day ski camp (approximately 20 h of skiing) were compared to 35 peers who did not attend. Postural stability was assessed using the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance protocol of the Balance Tracking System, which evaluates sway under four standing conditions: eyes open or closed, and on stable or unstable surfaces. Quade nonparametric ANCOVAs were used to compare percentage change scores between groups, controlling for age. No significant group differences emerged for standard, proprioceptive, or vestibular postural stability (p > 0.05). However, a statistically significant group effect was found for visual postural stability (p = 0.006), with improvement observed only in females (p = 0.003), not in males (p = 0.961). A 5‐day ski camp significantly enhanced visual postural stability in females but did not affect males or other postural domains. These findings suggest a potential sex‐specific adaptation to skiing and highlight the need for further research into the mechanisms underlying balance improvement.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
ISSN:2051-817X
DOI:10.14814/phy2.70501