Expertise Influence on Anticipatory Postural Adjustment under Different Temporal Pressure

Background: Skilled athletes’ optimal performance might be due to their postural ability to counteract perturbation. However, how expertise influences the 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 the central nervous system to prepare postural and motor commands, differentiates skilled and novice postural capacity during performing Table Tennis Forehand stroke.
Methods: 10 skilled (20.3±1.15 years old) and 10 novices (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 presents a Coincident Anticipation Timing stimulus. Participants completed a block of 20 trials consisting of random-order presentation of fast and slow stimuli and surface muscle activity of postural muscles was recorded using an Electromyography device, simultaneously.
Results: The results of two-way MANOVA showed that more/less temporal pressure for the central nervous system led to later/earlier onset time of APA with lower/higher magnitude, respectively. Skilled players’ postural strategy was the higher magnitude of APA in dorsal muscles (Erector Spainae, Biceps Femoris, and Gasterocnemous), more backward peak excursion, and lower velocity of the center of pressure.
Conclusion: 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 a certain conclusion about the effects of expertise on feed-forward control of posture.