The Effects of Gender and Fatigue on Dynamic Postural Control

Context: Deficits in static postural control related to fatigue have been investigated previously, but there is little evidence to link fatigue to performance measures of dynamic postural control. Objective: To investigate the effects of fatigue and gender on performance measures of the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). Design: Mixed-model design. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: 16 healthy young adults. Intervention: Subjects performed the SEBT before and after 4 different fatiguing conditions. Main Outcome Measures: The normalized reach distances and sagittal-plane kinematics of the knee and hip were recorded. Results: Fatigue produced deficits in normalized reach distances and decreased knee flexion in all 3 reaching directions. Overall, women were able to reach farther than men while simultaneously demonstrating a greater amount of knee flexion. Conclusions: Gender differences were observed during performance of the SEBT, with women demonstrating greater reach distances and knee flexion, and fatigue amplified these differences.