Examining Sex Differences in Visual Reliance During Postural Control in Intercollegiate Athletes.
Nicolette Ingel, Victoria Vice, Courtney Dommer and 7 others
PMID 34631247WHAT IT FOUND
Male athletes showed worse single-leg stability than females with eyes open and closed, but the drop when closing eyes was similar in both.
This suggests the stability gap isn't just about relying on vision. Sex-specific injury programs might need different amounts of balance training, not different visual conditions.
Key findings
01Male athletes had significantly worse static postural stability composite scores than female athletes under both eyes open and eyes closed conditions.
02The percent change in stability from eyes open to eyes closed was not significantly different between male and female athletes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only included young, healthy intercollegiate athletes, so findings may not apply to older adults, recreational athletes, or other sports. Group sizes were unequal (135 males vs 51 females), which can affect statistical power. Anthropometric differences like height and weight were not controlled for in the analysis, even though they were significantly different between groups and could influence balance. The study did not test somatosensory or vestibular systems independently, so it cannot definitively rule out their role in the observed sex differences.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that male athletes are more visually dependent for balance than females. The study found that while males had worse overall stability, the relative impact of closing their eyes was not significantly different from females.