Effect of Instability Resistance Training on Balance, Core Muscle Strength, and Athletic Performance

The goal of this experimental study is to examine the effect of instability resistance training (IRT) on balance ability, core muscle strength, and athletic performance of young Chinese male kayak canoeists. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Do the IRT and TRT methods have any effect on the subject's balance ability in terms of static balance and dynamic balance? Do the IRT and TRT methods have any effect on the subject's isometric strength of the core muscle group in terms of abdomen, back, left lateral, and right lateral? Do the IRT and TRT methods have any effect on the subject's isotonic strength of the core muscle group in terms of flexion, extension, left lateral flexion, and right lateral flexion? Do the IRT and TRT methods have any effect on the subject's athletic performance in terms of dynamometer performance and calm-water performance?

Researchers will compare the effect of instability resistance training (IRT) and traditional resistance training (TRT) on balance ability, core muscle strength, and athletic performance of young Chinese male kayak canoeists.

Participants will:

Take 12-week instability resistance training (IRT) and traditional resistance training (TRT) difficulty level (primary level 1-4 weeks, intermediate level 5-8 weeks, and advanced-level 9-12 weeks).

Take 3 training sessions per week and complete the training on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4 to 5 pm.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a 12-week IRT on balance, core strength, and athletic performance among young male Chinese kayak canoeists. A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (CRCT) study was conducted. Firstly, the 2 city-level representative teams were chosen from 4 city-level representative teams of Jiangxi province and randomly assigned as two groups (experimental group and control group) using the Lottery Method. Secondly, 64 eligible kayak canoeists between the ages of 16-22 years (19.10±1.38) were recruited from the selected 2 city-level representative teams and randomly assigned to the instability resistance training (IRT) for the experimental group and traditional resistance training (TRT) for the control group using the same Lottery Method. The intervention was divided into 3 levels (primary, intermediate, and advanced) for IRT and TRT. Both groups performed training for 60 minutes, three times a week. The Swiss ball, BOSU ball, and Wobble boards were only provided with unstable surfaces for the IRT group. The intensity was body weight for both training methods. Dependent variables involving balance, core muscle strength, and athletic performance were measured using Flamingo Balance Test (FBT), Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), Abdomen Bridge (AB), Back Bridge (BB), Left and Right Lateral Bridge (LLB and RLB), 1min Sit-Up (SU), 1min Back Hyperextension (BH), 1min Left and Right Lateral V-up (LLV and RLV), K-1 200m Dynamometer Performance (DP), and Men's K-1 200m Calm-Water Performance (CWP) tests respectively in pre-test, post-test 1 (week 6), post-test 2 (week 12).

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

Male, Aged 16-22, and Healthy

Exclusion Criteria:

Athletes who are systematically training their balance ability and core muscle strength