Abstract
Playing experience rather than chronological age determines balance control in older aged lawn bowlers
23rd Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science Book of Abstracts, p.37
Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS): Sport Science at the Cutting Edge, 23rd (Dublin, Ireland, 04-Jul-2018–07-Jul-2018)
2018
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Lawn bowls is a target sport that is popular throughout Commonwealth countries. The delivery action involves a degree of dynamic balance control and requires participants (standing on a mat) to step forward and roll each bowl smoothly along the ground, so that it stops as close as possible to a small target positioned between 23 m to 37 m away. Although high performance lawn bowlers are typically under 40 years of age, the sport is very popular within the older aged groups. Accordingly, this project assessed whether regular participation in this sport influences dynamic balance and stability ability during the delivery stride in a cohort of older aged lawn bowlers (n=30) who play lawn bowls at least once per week on a year-round basis. METHODS: Participants were divided into two equal groups, with the first composed of lawn bowlers aged =65 years (mean age 61.0 ±3.8 yrs, playing experience 8.0 ±6.7 yrs), and the second group consisting bowlers aged )65 years (mean age 71.6 ±4.6 yrs, playing experience 12.6 ±8.4 yrs). Prior to testing low mass, retro-reflective markers were attached to well-established landmarks on both feet, upper and lower legs and arms, and on the head, thorax, and pelvis and tracked using a 10-camera motion capture system (Qualisys AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) sampling at 200 Hz. Each participant performed 10 bowls at a target positioned 23 m away while standing on two force platforms (Bertec Corporation, Columbus, USA) that were sampling at 600 Hz. Captured marker trajectories were modelled using standard biomechanical software (Visual3D; C-Motion, Inc., USA) and smoothed using a 2nd order low-pass digital filter (25 Hz for force platform data and 4 Hz for the kinematic data) before the construction of a whole-body 20 segment rigid body model. Standard balance-based centre of pressure (CoP) and ground reaction force variables were recorded and a Dynamic Postural Stability Index (DPSI) calculated for each delivery. The relative height of the centre of mass at bowl release (recorded as a function of standing height) was also calculated from the kinematic data. The potential interrelationships between age and years of bowling experience meant that the latter was entered as a covariate when testing for significant differences in balance variables between age groups via one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). RESULTS: None of the balance variables correlated significantly with age although years of bowling experience correlated moderately with DPSI scores (r = -.42, P = .019). The over 65 group had greater variance in the mediolateral CoP movements (P = .012),with no other significant differences in balance or postural stability variables between groups. Analysis of covariance indicated that the DPSI data were influenced significantly by bowling experience regardless of age group. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that in the older aged lawn bowlers, playing experience and not age was the key determinant of balance control during the lawn bowls delivery action.
Details
- Title
- Playing experience rather than chronological age determines balance control in older aged lawn bowlers
- Authors
- Mark Sayers (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
- Contributors
- M H Murphy (Editor)C A G Boreham (Editor)G De Vito (Editor)E Tsolakidis (Editor)
- Publication details
- 23rd Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science Book of Abstracts, p.37
- Conference details
- Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS): Sport Science at the Cutting Edge, 23rd (Dublin, Ireland, 04-Jul-2018–07-Jul-2018)
- Publisher
- European College of Sport Science
- Date published
- 2018
- ISBN
- 9783981841411
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health - High Performance Sport; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy; School of Health - Sports & Exercise Science; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99451489602621
- Output Type
- Abstract
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