Local exercise based on voluntary contractions produces greater warm-up effects on balance control than electro-induced contractions.

On the one hand, while general (involving the whole body) warm-up exercises have been extensively used to optimize motor and postural performance, the effect of a local (involving a particular muscular group) warm-up has not yet been addressed. On the other hand, voluntary (VOL) and electro-induced (EI) contractions produce different physiological effects likely to differently affect motor and postural performance. The aim was to analyze and compare the effects of two local warm-up modalities, voluntary and electro-induced (VOL or EI warm-up) on balance control.

The optimal exploitation of sensory electrical stimulation for regulating postural balance depends on participants' intrinsic balance abilities.

Background: The sensory electrical stimulation applied to the postural muscles provides additional sensory information that improves postural balance but this improvement seems to be highly subject-dependent.

Research Question: The first aim was to analyse the effects of sensory electrical stimulation on postural balance and the second aim was to analyse these effects depending on intrinsic postural balance abilities of subjects.

Methods: Twenty healthy young male participants completed a monopedal postural task with sensory electrical stimulation (1 ms; 10 Hz; 7 ± 2 mA i.

Effect of the application of somatosensory and excitomotor electrical stimulation during quiet upright standing balance.

Somatosensory (which activates sensory neurons only) and excitomotor (which activates both motoneurons and sensory neurons) electrical stimulations applied on the musculature of the lower-limb are likely to facilitate and disturb balance control respectively. The aim of this study was to compare the possible balance control modifications induced by somatosensory (SS) and excitomotor (EX) electrical stimulations applied on the quadriceps femoris in quiet standing condition. Kinetics and kinematics parameters were recorded with a force platform (displacements of center of foot pressure) and a 3D analysis system (hip, knee and ankle angles) respectively during a postural task.

Correction to: Voluntary and electrically-induced muscle fatigue differently affect postural control mechanisms in unipedal stance.

In the metadata of the original publication of the article.