The Effect of Fatigue on Postural Control and Biomechanical Characteristic of Lunge in Badminton Players

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of fatigue on postural control and biomechanical characteristic of lunge. A total of twelve healthy male collegiate badminton players (21.1 ± 2.2 years; 180.8 ± 4.0 cm; 72.5 ± 8.4 kg; 8.9 ± 3.5 years of experience) performed repeating lunges until exhausted. Postural stability was evaluated through a single-leg balance test using the dominant lower limb on a pressure plate with eyes opened (EO) and eyes closed (EC). The center of pressure (CoP) sway in the entire plantar and sub-regions of the plantar was measured. Kinematic and kinetic data of lunge motion were collected. The postural control was impaired after fatigue. In plantar sub-regions, the area, displacement and distance in the medial–lateral (ML) and anterior–posterior directions of CoP increased significantly (p < 0.05), especially the distance in ML. The medial region of the forefoot is the most sensitive to fatigue. Compared to pre-fatigue, participants experienced a significantly longer phase of pre-drive-off (p < 0.01), less peak moment and peak power of the knee and hip for drive-off (p < 0.01) and less peak moment of the ankle during braking phase (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that, within the setting of this investigation, the different responses to fatigue for CoP sway in plantar sub-regions and the consistency between postural control and biomechanical characteristic of lunge may be beneficial for developing and monitoring a training plan.