COMBINED EFFECTS OF SPINAL CORD ELECTRICAL STIMULATION AND COORDINATION EXERCISES ON THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN BALANCE IN FUTSAL PLAYERS

The research purpose was to study the possibilities for improving the ability of futsal players to maintain balance through spinal cord electrical stimulation in combination with the special coordination exercises.

Materials and methods. The study involved 16 futsal players aged 20-22 years. They performed specific coordination abilities improving exercises during 10 training sessions in the preparatory part of the training. The experimental group athletes (EG) were subjected to applying transcutaneous spinal cord electrical stimulation (tSCS) just before performing a set of coordination exercises. The intensity of the electrical stimulus was selected individually; the stimulation frequency was 15 Hz, the session duration – 60 s. Before the start of the training program and after its completion, the ability to maintain static and dynamic balance was assessed based on the results of stabilographic and pedagogical tests. Statistically significant differences were determined using single-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Post-Hoc analysis according to the Newman-Keuls criterion of the Statistica 10 software package.

Results and their discussion. The results obtained in the subjects of the control and experimental groups when performing stabilographic and pedagogical tests showed that tSCS in combination with the special coordination exercises increases the ability to maintain static and dynamic balance in futsal players. The highest improvement in most indicators in the «Stability», «Evolvent» and pedagogical tests occurred in EG athletes. The effectiveness of such a combined effect on the ability to maintain static and dynamic balance is apparently determined by the spinal motor neuronal pools excitability increasing and a weakening of spinal cord inhibitory processes caused by electrical stimulation.

Conclusion. The spinal cord transcutaneous electrical stimulation at the Т11–Т12 vertebrae level can be used as an additional means to increase the ability of athletes to maintain balance.

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