The Impact of Ankle Joint Stiffening by Ski Equipment on Maintenance of Body Balance

Introduction. In the initial phase of ski lessons, the skier encounters a completely new situation. The maintenance of body stability, which is influenced by various factors, attracts his entire attention. The aim of this study was to define the impact of ankle joint stiffening by ski equipment on the maintenance of body balance. Material and methods. The research was conducted on 13-member group aged 20 to 24. All the subjects were male students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport in Bia³a Podlaska (graduates of the ski instructor course). Each participant carried out three postural exercises on the KISTLER dynamometric platform. Then the same exercises were performed with ski boots and skis. Two parameters were used for the analysis of body balance, namely the COP path length and the surface area of the stabilogram. Results. It was stated in the study that ankle joint stiffening while standing on both skis did not have a negative impact on the postural stability. In majority of the tested subjects while standing on one ski, a considerable increase in the both analysed parameters occurred in relation to the same exercises performed without ski boots. That being so, it can be inferred that ski equipment causes deterioration of body stability. Moreover, it was noticed as a result of putting on ski boots and skis that body fluctuations increased slightly in relation to the growth of the base of support defined by the ski length and ski width setting. Conclusions. On this basis, it was concluded that ski equipment does not have a negative influence on the maintaining body balance. The growth of body fluctuations during exercises is insignificant in relation to the increase of body base area. It is necessary to find new ways of compensating for body fluctuations in order to maintain body balance with ski equipment on.