The Star Excursion Balance Test as a predictor of mechanical loading and performance in dancers

BACKGROUND: The identification of movement patterns that may aid dance performance may allow intervention to maximise performance and reduce injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the Star Excursion Balance Test in predicting mechanical loading during the Dance Aerobic Fitness Test. METHODS: Twenty-three university dancers performed the modified version of the Star Excursion Balance Test in anterior, posterolateral and posteromedial directions. Subjects then completed the DAFT with a GPS-mounted (MinimaXx SS: Catapult Innovations, Scoresby, Australia) with a triaxial accelerometer (Kionx KX 94, Kionx, Ithaca, New York, USA) located at the cervico-thoracic junction and one at the mid-belly of the gastrocnemius. Accelerometry data was sampled at 100Hz and used to calculate total accumulated PlayerLoad, Playerload medial-lateral, PlayerLoad anterior posterior and PlayerLoad vertical over the duration of the Dance Aerobic Fitness Test. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis identified that anterior, posterolateral and posteromedial movements were poor predictors of all mechanical loading measures. The best predictor was the non-dominant leg in a posterolateral direction for PlayerLoad anterior posterior with measurement at the cervico-thoracic junction (r = 0.35). CONCLUSIONS: The SEBT is not a good predictor of mechanical loading which may represent the lack of specificity between the movements performed during the Star Excursion Balance Test and Dance Aerobic Fitness Test. Dancers may demonstrate an adaptation of dance training in that the Star Excursion Balance Test does not provide dancers with a sufficient movement challenge.