Regulation of Balance After Spinning: A Comparison Between Figure Skaters and Controls

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to compare the balance performance of control subjects and varsity figure skaters after spinning on a turntable for 6 seconds. It was hypothesized figure skaters would demonstrate better balance control after spinning. Methods: 9 female figure skaters and 9 female control subjects stood as still as possible for 15 seconds on a Kistler force plate during both a control condition and after spinning for 6 seconds on a turntable. Balance performance was quantified by the percentage of total time the center of pressure (CoP) was within a 5mm radius of the center of their base of support (BoS). Results: In the control condition, figure skaters and control participants did not have significantly different balance ability. In the post-spin condition, figure skaters were significantly better at maintaining their CoP within a smaller area. Conclusions: These results are valuable from a training and coaching perspective because they suggest that balance performance after spinning can be improved with training.