Search

Single leg balance training promotes significant increments in balance control, but previous reviews on balance control have not analyzed this form of balance training. Accordingly, we aimed to review the single leg balance training literature to better understand the effects of applying this training to healthy individuals. We searched five databases-PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Lilacs, and Scielo-with the following inclusion criteria: (a) peer-reviewed articles published in English; (b) analysis of adult participants who had no musculoskeletal injuries or diseases that might impair balance control; and (c) use of methods containing at least a pre-test, exclusive single leg balance training, and a post-test assessment. We included 13 articles meeting these criteria and found that single leg balance training protocols were effective in inducing balance control gains in either single- or multiple-session training and with or without progression of difficulty. Balance control gains were achieved with different amounts of training, ranging from a single short session of 10 minutes to multiple sessions totaling as much as 390 min of unipedal balance time. Generalization of balance gains to untrained tasks and cross-education between legs from single leg balance training were consistent across studies. We concluded that single leg balance training can be used in various contexts to improve balance performance in healthy individuals. These results extend knowledge of expected outcomes from this form of training and aid single leg balance exercise prescription regarding volume, frequency, and potential progressions.

Interlateral transfer of learning between the legs in body balance training is a topic of theoretical and practical interest, but it has been left untouched in previous research. In this investigation, we aimed to evaluate the magnitude and asymmetry of interlateral transfer of balance stability following the practice of a challenging task of unipedal support on an unstable base. Thirty participants (18-30 years old) were assigned to two groups practicing either with the right or the left leg. Training consisted of a single practice session of unipedal balance on a platform free to sway in the anteroposterior direction. Balance time (off ground) of either leg in 10-s trials was compared across pre-test, post-test, and 7-day retention. Post-test indicated that both groups had similar performance gains with the trained leg, and equivalent transfer to the transfer leg. Analysis of retention indicated further balance improvement with both transfer legs, while practice with the right leg led to the superior transfer to the untrained leg as compared to the opposite transfer direction. These results suggest that persistent transfer of learning effects for unipedal dynamic balance is bilateral but more prominent in the right-to-left direction.