Combined balance and plyometric training enhances knee function, but not proprioception of elite male badminton players: A pilot randomized controlled study

Limingfei Zhou; Wangcheng Gong; Shixian Wang; Zhenxiang Guo; Meng Liu; Samuel Chuang; Dapeng Bao; Junhong Zhou

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.947877

Combined balance and plyometric training enhances knee function, but not proprioception of elite male badminton players: A pilot randomized controlled study

Front Psychol. 2022 Aug 9:13:947877. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.947877. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Limingfei Zhou¹, Wangcheng Gong², Shixian Wang³, Zhenxiang Guo⁴, Meng Liu³, Samuel Chuang⁵, Dapeng Bao⁶, Junhong Zhou⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Strength and Conditioning Training, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
² School of Physical Education, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, China.
³ Sports Coaching College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Department of Physical Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.
⁵ Human Biology Major, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.
⁶ China Institute of Sport and Health Science, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
⁷ Hebrew Senior Life Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the effect of combined balance and plyometric training on knee function and proprioception of elite badminton athletes.

Methods: Sixteen elite male badminton players (age: 20.5 ± 1.1 years, height: 177.8 ± 5.1 cm, weight: 68.1 ± 7.2 kg, and training experience: 11.4 ± 1.4 years) volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to a combined balance and plyometric training (CT) (n = 8) and plyometric (PT) group (n = 8). The CT group performed balance combined with plyometric training three times a week over 6 weeks (40 min of plyometrics and 20 min of balance training); while the PT group undertook only plyometric training for the same period (3-4 sets × 8-12 reps for each exercise). Both groups had the same technical training of badminton.

Results: The knee function and proprioception were assessed at baseline and after the intervention by measuring the performance of single-legged hop tests (LSI_O, LSI_T, LSI_C, LSI_S), standing postural sway (COP_AP, COP_ML), and LSI of dominant leg and non-dominant leg. The results showed that as compared to PT, CT induced significantly greater improvements in LSI_T and LSI_S (p < 0.001) and significant greater percent increase in N_AP (p = 0.011). The changes in LSI_O, LSI_C, D_AP, N_AP, LSI_AP, D_ML, N_ML, and LSI_ML induced by CT did not differ from that induced by PT (p > 0.213).

Conclusion: In elite badminton players, intervention using CT holds great promise to augment the benefits for knee function compared to the intervention using PT only, and at the same time, with at least comparable benefits for proprioception. Future studies are needed to examine and confirm the results of this study.

Keywords: badminton; knee; physical conditioning; plyometric exercise; postural balance.