The Effects of Different Unstable Core Muscle Training Methods on The Trunk Stability in Female Basketball Players

Introduction: Basketball is a high speed, intense, physical game that demands exceeding strength, power, speed, balance, coordination, and dribble control. Trunk position is not only related to the performance of the physical fitness but also important for the balance and stability of the whole body. The TRX Suspension Training has been shown to be an effective device for eliciting an increased core muscle endurance and core muscle activation. Besides, Swiss ball core muscle training can improve the core muscle strength and the neuromuscular recruitment. To our knowledge, only few studies have discussed the effects of different unstable core muscle training methods on the trunk muscle abilities.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the two training methods on the trunk stability in female basketball players.
Methods: 34 healthy elite female basketball players (age: 14.76 ± 1.84 yrs, BMI: 21.41 ± 1.96 kg/m2) were assigned to either TRX training group (n=17) or Swiss ball training group (n=17). All participants performed a progressive program consisting of 3*8 sessions twice-a-week unstable core muscle training for 8 weeks under supervision. The main outcome measures were ‘‘core muscle strength and stability test‘‘ and the performance of modified double leg lowing task (MDLL) for trunk stability. These parameters were evaluated before and after the 8-week core muscle training. Independent Sample t test was used to determine the differences of baseline data. Two way (‘’group’’ x ‘’time’’) analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures on ‘’time’’ was used for analyzing the effects of core muscle training on variables of trunk muscle abilities. Scheff's post-hoc comparison was used to determine the differences between groups.
Results: A significant group x time interactions were found for MDLL task in TRX group (p=.021). In MDLL task, TRX group (8.6%,) increased significantly more than Swiss ball group (2.9%) (pConclusions: A previous study indicated that the score of MDLL task could represent the ability of maintaining the spine in neutral position. The main result of this study shows that the trunk stability (score of MDLL task) in TRX was significantly higher after the 8-week training. TRX core muscle training may have a greater effect on the trunk control ability and muscle activation than Swiss ball core muscle training. In addition, this study also found that both TRX and Swiss ball training could increase core muscle strength and stability. In conclusion, both unstable core muscle training methods could enhance trunk control ability. However, TRX training is a better choice in consideration of improving the trunk muscle abilities.