Background: Prior to the 2017 table tennis season, each participant performed the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral the star excursion balance test (SEBT) reach distances in a randomized order. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of table tennis multi-ball training and dynamic balance on performance measures of the SEBT for the male and female.
Methods: The limb lengths of the 12 table tennis athletes were measured bilaterally in the study. Besides warm-up end, the data of this study were recorded at a regular interval at approximately 16 min for the entire multi-ball training session, and they were defined as Phase I, Phase II, Phase II, respectively. The Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale was used to document the degree of physical strain.
Results: Reaching distances showed a decrease with training progression in all directions. Compared with the male table tennis athletes, the females showed poorer dynamic posture control, particularly when the free limb was considered with the right-leg stance toward posterolateral and posteromedial directions in phase I.
Discussion: This study suggests that during table tennis multi-ball training the male should have a regulatory protocol to compensate the deficit observed in phase II, but the females should be given the protocol in phase I.
Keywords: Borg rating of perceived exertion; Center of pressure; Musculoskeletal; Reach distance; Star excursion balance test.