Comparison of Upper Extremity Function Test and Balance between Different Sports

Balance is a key component of motor skill from maintaining posture to executing complex sport skills. The aim of the present study was to compare the static and dynamic and upper extremity function and balance between different sports.
Participants were 60 male athletes with more than seven years of specialized sports in Guilan province. Also, 12 non-athletes who did not do any exercise in the past year were selected. In each group, except for parkourists, six athletes were competing at the level of national competitions and six athletes were competing at Guilan provincial championships. All participants were ready for testing between 9 to 12 am in various sports groups. After 10-minute warm-up and doing stretching exercises, upper extremity function test and static and dynamic balance tests were carried out using Y balance test (YBT) and Balance Error Scoring System (BESS).
The results of One-way ANOVA and Tukey test showed that parkour group was better than other groups in static and dynamic balance test and upper extremity function test. There was a significant difference between all athletes and non-athletes studied in static and dynamic balance and upper extremity function test. Also, basketball players had the lowest static and dynamic and upper extremity function test compared with all other groups (p≤0/05).
The present study showed that cause of the high prevalence of ankle sprain in Basketball players is perhaps because of imbalance. So, coaches and athletic trainers are suggested to use BESS and Y test in their screening programs to assess upper extremity function and balance in athletes so as to identity those who have poor balance and weakness of upper extremity.