Differential Balance Enhancements Associated with Conventional Balance Training and Portable Slackline Board Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Compromised balance is implicated with increased injury risk in athletes. Although multiple modalities are available to improve balance, investigation into slackline balance training (SLT) has remained limited, especially in regard to elite athletes. The primary aim of this study was to determine the effects of SLT, using a novel portable slacklining board, on static and dynamic balance. Thirty male NCAA Division I American football athletes were randomized into one of three groups: a control group (CON) who received no balance training, a group undergoing conventional balance training (CBT), or SLT. Each group trained thrice weekly for eight weeks. Body mass, in addition to sway path length on three surfaces and the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT), was assessed before and after the training period. Improvements in static and dynamic balance were observed in CBT and SLT compared to CON (p < 0.05). Notably, superior balance enhancements were observed in SLT relative to CBT in wobble board sway path length (p < 0.031), posteromedial mSEBT performance (p < 0.05), and composite mSEBT scores (p = 0.033). These results are the first to suggest that SLT may confer balance benefits in elite American football players that are comparable and, in some conditions, superior to those associated with CBT.