Differences between Male and Female College Students in Dynamic Stability Change through Measuring Lower Extremity Muscle Fatigue

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze differences by gender, changes in dynamic stability due to lower extremity muscle fatigue. METHODS A total of 47 college-age students participated in the experiment. Subjects consisted of 29 males and 19 females. A muscle fatigue squat protocol with Smith machine and Y-balance Test was conducted and measurements were taken before and after the onset of fatigue. RESULTS There were statistically significant differences before and after fatigue in anterior right leg (p<.001), anterior left leg (p<.001), posteromedial right leg (p=.011), posteromedial left leg (p=.010), pesterolateral left leg (p=.014), total score right leg (p<.001) and total score left leg (p<.001), the only exception being posterolateral right leg (p=.057). The difference between male and female groups decreased in a statistically significant manner on posteromedial left leg (p=.045) and posterolateral right leg (p=.031). The effects of interaction between measurement periods did not represent statistically significant differences in all categories. CONCLUSIONS The result of this study represented a decrease in total score of Y-balance Test before and after the application of muscle fatigue. There were no gender differences in the dynamic stability of male and female subjects due to muscle fatigue.