Effects of Balance Training with Resistance Function on Center of Mass Trajectory and Muscle Co-contraction

We hypothesized that the balance training with a resistance function may engender effective rehabilitative balance training outcomes, compared to the balance training without a resistance function. The aim of the current study was to evaluate our hypothesis through the measurement of the alterations of the center of mass (COM) trajectory and muscle co-contraction characteristics (co-activation of muscles in the same motion) in balance training with/without a resistance function. Nine subjects with no musculoskeletal or nervous system-related diseases participated. We applied a resistance function to the subjects for 9 weeks and controlled them via our test platform customized for balance training. The results show that COM trajectory and muscle co-contraction were effectively improved after 3 or 6 weeks in balance training with a resistance function, compared to a non-resistance one. The finding indicates that our hypothesis is potentially true. For a strong conclusion, however, additional validations and investigations are necessary.