Is BMI a Determinant of Balance in Injury Prevention in Adolescents?

Background: Balance is a fundamental ability that ensures stability by maintaining the body's center of mass within its base of support and prevents injuries. It plays a crucial role in the progression of motor development during adolescence, influencing coordination, posture, and movement efficiency. Understanding the mechanisms and factors affecting balance can contribute to improved training methods and performance outcomes in both general and sports-specific contexts. BMI, gender, and sport type parameters that could affect balance in adolescent athletes were investigated. Methods: A total of 311 orienteering, volleyball, basketball and tennis players (mean age=15.29±4.75 years, mean body mass index (BMI)=20.31±3.28 kg/m2) aged 10-17 years were included in the study. Tanita BC418MA (Tanita, Japan) device was used for body weight assessment and BMI was calculated. Y-balance test was used for dynamic balance assessment. Results: BMI was associated with Y-balance test parameters on the dominant side of the athletes (p< 0.005). Overweight athletes have worse balance parameters than normal BMI. The balance parameters of girl athletes were better in posteromedial (p=0.001) and posterolateral (p=0.021) directions, but less in anterior (p=0.029) direction than boy athletes. Balance parameters of orienteering athletes were found to be better than other sports branches (p< 0.005). Conclusions: High BMI can impair balance in developing adolescent athletes, potentially increasing the risk of injury and affecting performance. Therefore, identifying the factors that influence balance is essential for optimizing athletic ability and implementing effective injury prevention strategies.