(28) DIFFERENCES IN Y-BALANCE TEST COMPOSITE SCORES IN ELITE-ATHLETES AND NON-ATHLETES WITH VARYING LEVELS OF ANKLE INSTABILITY

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in YBT composite scores between elite level athletes and recreationally active non-athletes with differing levels of ankle instability. Methods: 19 Division 1 NCAA women’s soccer players and 19 recreationally active non-athlete collegiate females participated in this study. All participants reported for 2 sessions, with one being familiarization and the second being the testing day. Upon coming in for familiarization, all participants were asked to complete a CAIT questionnaire, which is used to assess level of ankle instability in both ankles³. Research has shown that a score lower than 27 on the CAIT indicates ankle instability⁴. Participants were then classified as having either no instability, unilateral instability, or bilateral instability⁵. Following this, leg length was measured from the ASIS of the hip to the lateral malleolus of the ankle. They were then familiarized on the YBT and were scheduled for their testing session. When each participant came in for testing, the performed the YBT, being instructed to balance on one leg and push a block with the other leg in three reach directions: Anterior, Posteromedial, and Posterolateral. They did three trials in each direction with the highest trial from each group being recorded. These trials were then averaged together and normalized to leg length to produce a composite score for both the dominant and non-dominant leg^1,2. All data was analyzed using a 3 (instability group) x 2 (athletic status) x 2 (composite score) repeated measures ANOVA. Results: There were no significant interactions or significant group differences between the instability groups. However, there was a significant main effect between the elite athletes and non-athletes (F = 65.184, p < .001, ηp² = .671). The reported mean difference between reach distances was 20.85 cm higher in the elite athlete group (p < .001, SE = 2.583). Conclusions: Significantly greater composite scores were achieved by the elite level athletes. In contrast, there were no significant differences in composite score across instability classifications based on the results of the CAIT. Based on these results, for this specific sample, athletic status has a larger impact on dynamic balance and reach abilities than instability classification. Practical Applications: Athletes had significantly greater reach distances than the non-athlete population in this study. This is likely due to the training status of the elite athlete group as most of these individuals have been playing soccer and participating in high-level training for most of their lives. From this information, the importance of emphasizing training of the primary ankle stabilizers in junior high, high school, and college soccer athletes as well as in non-athletes is evident. These results emphasize that specific training methods such as proprioceptive exercises, single-leg stability drills, plyometrics, and resistance training targeting the ankle stabilizers can help improve dynamic balance and reach performance, which is important for all individuals, especially those choosing to be active at the recreational or competitive sports level.
Acknowledgements: None