Assessment of static and dynamic balance performance in team sports athletes

Static balance and dynamic balance are crucial to an athlete’s motor skills and are pivotal determinants of performance in team sports (TS) players. Training to enhance balance prevents falls and reduces the incidence of sports-related injuries. However, the existing literature presents conflicting data regarding the impact of an athlete’s sex on balance performance and the potential associations between static and dynamic balance characteristics. The aims of our study were: 1) to assess and compare the static and dynamic balance performance between TS players and the control group (CG) and 2) to examine and analyze sex differences in static and dynamic balance tests within both the TS players and CG. A total of 97 subjects who were 19–24 years of age participated in the study. The participants were categorized into two groups: 1) TS players (males: n = 30, females: n = 25), with a mean weekly training duration of 10.1 ± 1.5 h, including sport-specific balance exercises twice per week for 15 min, and training experience in football, basketball, or volleyball averaging 9.7 ± 3.3 years and 2) a CG (males: n = 17, females: n = 25) engaged in regular physical activity for at least 2–3 h per week. The stork stand static balance test was employed to measure static balance, revealing no significant differences between TS players and their same-sex counterparts in the CG (p > 0.05). However, males exhibited higher static balance values overall than females (p < 0.01). Dynamic balance assessment, conducted using the Y-lower body dynamic balance test, showed that TS players of both sexes displayed significantly higher normalized leg reach distances (anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral) and composite scores compared to the CG (p < 0.001). Notably, the dynamic stability normalized results did not differ significantly between males and females within the TS players and CG, respectively (p < 0.01). No significant correlation existed between static and dynamic balance test results in any participant groups (p > 0.05).