Exercise and dehydration: A possible role of inner ear in balance control disorder

Abstract

To study the effect of exercise and dehydration on the postural sensory-motor strategies, 10 sportsmen performed a 45 min-exercise on a cycle ergometer at intensity just below the ventilatory threshold without fluid intake. They performed, before, immediately and 20 min after exercise, a sensory organization test to evaluate balance control in six different sensory situations, that combine three visual conditions (eyes open, eyes closed and sway-referenced visual surround motion) with two platform conditions (stable platform, sway-referenced platform motion). Blood samples were collected before and after exercise. Exercise induced a mild dehydration, characterized by body mass loss and increase in proteinemia. Postural performances decreased immediately after exercise, mainly in the standard situation (eyes open, stable visual surround and platform) and when only the vestibular cue was reliable (eyes closed and sway-referenced platform). Moreover, the decreased use of vestibular input was correlated with the dehydration level. Finally, postural performances normalized 20 min after exercise. Even though muscular fatigue could explain the decrease in postural performances, vestibular fluid modifications may also be involved by its influence on the intralabyrinthine homeostasis, lowering thus the contribution of vestibular information on balance control.