ASSESSMENT OF NEUROMUSCULAR CONTROL OF COMPETITORS IN TAEWKONDO TATHLETES HROUGH THE STAR EXCURSION BALANCE TEST

Abstract

The taewkondo is a martial art that uses mostly a struggle the lower limbs, constantly making use of kicks.Thus, the maintenance of balance and body orientation is essential for this sport.The neuromuscular control is crucial for balance and it must be effective in taekwondo athletes, who are subject to unexpected external perturbations imposed by their opponents.It is known that the lack of proprioception or balance may damage neuromuscular control which leads to in injuries.This study had as goal to evaluate whether taekwondo influences on neuromuscular control of who practice the sport. For both the sample was divided into two groups: Taekwondo Group (GT), formed by individuals who practiced taekwondo as a competitive sport, and Control Group (CG), with individuals who did not practice any sport in a competitive way. The proprioceptive evaluation was performed by Sebta, the test was performed bilaterally in one foot in the center formed by the intersection of lines. Significant differences were not found in the comparison the dominant and non dominant limbs of the GT and the GC, and the means found were 63.79 ± 5.753 in TG and (CG) 68.76 ± 10.06 in CG for the dominant limb, however the non-dominant limb the averages found were 65.39 ± 7.367 in TG and CG 68.82 ± 11.39. In the comparison between the groups, significant differences were only found for the dominant limb in two lines of reach. In this study, we conclude that taekwondo does not influence in a significant way the neuromuscular control of athletes.