Comparison of the centre of pressure movement variability between elite and non-elite wrestlers during a wrestling stance task

Abstract

This study compared the variability of centre of pressure (CoP) movement between elite and non-elite wrestlers during a repetitive wrestling stance task. Sixty male wrestlers (30 elite, 30 non-elite) performed a simulated 30 s protocol involving short-cycle repetitive wrestling stance tasks under two conditions: dominant and non-dominant leg. Non-linear Poincaré analysis was applied to the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions and to total (T) CoP displacement, computing short-term (SD1) and long-term (SD2) variability indicators. A mixed-model ANOVA with Bonferroni correction was used. Non-elite wrestlers showed significantly higher SD1 (p = .018) and SD2 (p = .008) in the ML direction of the dominant leg, whereas no differences appeared in the AP direction or in T displacement. Between legs, elite wrestlers differed significantly in SD1 (p = .008) and SD2 (p = .014) in the AP direction and in SD1 (p = .025) and SD2 (p = .039) of T displacement. No differences were found between the beginning and the end of the task. Poincaré analysis is a useful procedure for monitoring CoP movement variability during back-and-forth movements in wrestling.