Diagnostic criteria for postural control of skilled and unskilled gymnasts and cheerleaders

Aim. The paper aims to establish the role of visual control in maintenance of the vertical position in skilled and unskilled female rhythmic gymnasts and cheerleaders by means of force plate measurements. Materials and methods. The study involved 92 female athletes aged from 13 to 15 years, including 38 unskilled and 54 skilled athletes of the Rostov region. The following vector parameters were obtained with the force platform: balance quality, normalized vectorgram area, mean linear velocity, mean angular velocity. Results. The comparative analysis of balance quality in skilled and unskilled female athletes showed that both skilled gymnasts and cheerleaders (bases and flyers) had better balance values (p