Expertise Influence on Anticipatory Postural Adjustment under Different Temporal Pressure

Skilled athletes’ optimal performance might be due to their postural ability to counteract perturbation. However, how expertise influences coordination of anticipatory postural adjustment (APA) and main movement under temporal pressure needs more investigation. This study aimed to investigate how available time (temporal pressure) for central nervous system to prepare postural and motor commands, differentiates skilled and novice postural capacity during performing Table Tennis Forehand stroke.

10 skilled (20.3±1.15 years old) and 10 novice (19.9±0.99 years old) Table Tennis players while maintaining Forehand stroke position on two force plates, stand in front of a screen that presenting Coincident Anticipation Timing stimulus. Participants completed a block of 20 trials consisted of random-order presentation of fast and slow stimuli and surface muscle activity of postural muscles were recorded using Electromyography device, simultaneously.

The results of two-way MANOVA showed that, more/less temporal pressure for central nervous system led to later/earlier onset time of APA with lower/higher magnitude, respectively. Skilled players’ postural strategy was higher magnitude of APA in dorsal muscles (Erector Spainae, Biceps Femoris and Gasterocnemous), more backward peak excursion and lower velocity of centre of pressure.

Although such findings may be beneficial factors for coaches in programming athletes’ training, however, the similarity in anticipatory postural adjustments’ onset time of novice and skilled players, do not let certain conclusion about the effects of expertise on feed-forward control of posture.