Changes in Gait Parameters Due to Visual and Head Oscillations in Football Players and Non-Athletes

Functional movements require the successful integration of visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensory signals. It has been shown that athletes are less affected by external sensory perturbations than untrained individuals. This study aims to investigate if trained athletes respond differently to sensory manipulations during walking compared to non-athletes. A group of Division I football players and non-athletes, 10 subjects each, underwent sensory perturbations while walking overground for 10 laps on a walkway. The sensory perturbations were head yaw oscillations, visual field oscillations, and synchronized head-vision oscillations. A robotic neck brace and a virtual reality system imposed head movements and visual perturbations, respectively. Stride length, stride width, stride velocity, and their respective variabilities were evaluated using a virtual reality system. Results show a condition-dependent change in gait parameters between football players and non-athletes. Visual oscillations caused a wider stride width, shorter stride length, and lower stride velocity in football players when compared to non-athletes.