Posture correctness of young female soccer players

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the correctness of the body posture of female soccer players in the frontal plane from the back based on selected body points in two static positions (habitual and actively corrected) using a non-contact optical measurement method. Forty-two young women (aged 16–20) playing soccer in a sports club in Poland were examined and compared with controls. The spatial coordinates (x, y, z) of the selected body points were determined. Four points (Oc_L, Oc_R, Pv_L and Pv_R) were extracted and used to calculate vectors \[\overline{{\boldsymbol{Oc}}}={\boldsymbol{O}}{{\boldsymbol{c}}}_{{\boldsymbol{L}}}-{\boldsymbol{O}}{{\boldsymbol{c}}}_{{\boldsymbol{R}}}\] and \[\overline{{\boldsymbol{Pv}}}={\boldsymbol{P}}{{\boldsymbol{v}}}_{{\boldsymbol{L}}}-{\boldsymbol{P}}{{\boldsymbol{v}}}_{{\boldsymbol{R}}}\] for analysis. The results show that median of the pelvic line angle was positive (Pv_R was lower than Pv_L) in both groups. For the habitual posture, the absolute value of the difference between the 25th and 75th percentiles in the pelvic line was almost three times greater among the soccer players than the controls (ratio between soccer players and controls: 2.93). Static postural imbalances in female soccer players require diagnosis of the sacroiliac joints with analysis of lumbar-pelvic system support and inhibition in the context of myofascial connection integration. Exercises can be implemented to stabilize the lumbar-pelvis complex as prophylaxis for spinal overload during the training cycle.