Trunk extensor muscles fatigue affects undisturbed postural control in young healthy adults

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of trunk extensor muscles fatigue on undisturbed postural control in young healthy adults. Methods Fifteen university students were asked to stand upright as immobile as possible with their eyes closed in two conditions of Fatigue and No fatigue of the trunk extensor muscles. Muscular fatigue was achieved by performing trunk repetitive extensions until maximal exhaustion. Centre of foot pressure displacements, recorded using a force platform, were used to compute the motions of the vertical projection of the centre of gravity and those of the difference between the centre of pressure and those of the difference between the centre of pressure and the vertical projection of the centre of gravity. These motions were processed through space–time and frequency domain analyses. Findings Larger centre of pressure minus centre of gravity and centre of gravity motions in the Fatigue than No fatigue condition are observed along both the medio-lateral and antero-posterior axes, this effect being more accentuated along the antero-posterior axis. Interpretation The present findings suggest that trunk extensor muscles fatigue deteriorates undisturbed stance control, yielding, along the antero-posterior axis mainly, (1) a greater neuromuscular requirements for ensuring standing control, as indicated by the increased centre of pressure minus centre of gravity motions, and (2) a deterioration of postural performance, as indicated by the increased centre of gravity motions.