Training in unstable situations and its purpose
In the search for the best activation of the nervous system and greater muscle activation, training in unstable situations is one of the most emerging methodologies today. In the following article we will try to explain the concept and usefulness of this type of training.
Developing
Instability training
In the last decade, training in unstable situations have become a tool widely used in sports centers, rehabilitation clinics and gyms. These materials are used to achieve all kinds of objectives, such as sports performance, health, injury prevention or sports rehabilitation.
In the sports field when we talk about unstable materials, we refer to those we would use to increase the requirement of active stabilization, providing an unstable environment that will enhance proprioceptive activity and neuromuscular control demands.
Before continuing, you have to know, define and differentiate the terms of stability and balance.
Stability
Stability is defined as ‘the ability of a body to maintain balance, that is, to avoid being unbalanced’. It is also explained as ‘the ability of a structure to return to its position when a disturbing force’ is exerted on it ’.
Different authors explain that in order to have an adequate state of stability, it is necessary that there is proper functioning at the level:
- Muscle: To resume a state of equilibrium we must have enough strength for it.
- Neural: It is not enough to have the muscle structures trained to generate adequate levels of muscle strength, but we must also possess and manifest the ability to activate them to a certain intensity and at the right time.
With training in unstable situations we are mainly influencing the neural level. Despite this, to generate stability in the face of a movement made in unstable situations, we must first train the muscle component. It is important to know this aspect, since we can have the neural component very well trained to stabilize a movement, but if we do not have the right structure to do so it will not develop. This case will create an excessive joint load in the trained subject.
Balance
Different authors define this concept as, ‘generic term that describes the dynamics of body posture to prevent falls’. Or as ‘concept related to the forces acting on the body and the inertial characteristics of body segments’.
At the neural and physiological level, the balance depends on three ways:
- Proprioceptive: the proprioceptive system is the one that provides us with information on muscle, tendon and joint structures.
- Vestibular: The vestibular system responds to body movements through space and head position changes.
- Visual: refers to the system and via that involves the contribution of visual information.
In unstable surface training effects
There are many studies that show that performing exercises and training on unstable surfaces increases the muscular activation of the Core more than the execution of these in stability conditions.
This greater lumbar and abdominal activation is produced by the need to stabilize raquis and maintain postural control. Therefore, according to authors such as Grenier, at higher levels of instability in raquis it is required:
- Greater activation of the central muscles.
- Increased activation of agonist and antagonist muscles.
- More activation of the antagonist musculature.
- Greater need for joint stability.
- Greater joint stiffness.
- And less ability to produce strength and power.
Training in unstable situations offers a clear advantage. A large number of authors explain that although the production of force with this type of work is reduced by instability, the increase in co-control has a very important role for joint stability. Such as in knee joints and ankle.
Instability in rehabilitation and health
From the point of view of rehabilitation and health, these types of materials seem to show the possibility of reducing the incidence of low back pain. In addition to increasing the sensory efficiency of soft tissues that stabilize ankle and knee. Therefore, this type of training helps:
- Restore normal functions of stabilizing muscles.
- Maintain or improve the function of the core musculature.
- And facilitates the proprioceptive reeducation of the injured lower limbs.
With regard to strength and power training, the threat of muscle coercive.
Instability in injury prevention
Regarding the effects of this type of training on injury prevention, scientific literature has been able to verify the effectiveness of exercises performed on unstable surfaces. Joint training to potentially destabilizing forces can be a necessary stimulus for the development of effective neuromuscular compensatory patterns that can help prevent injuries from the lower limbs.
Of reviews made by various authors can be drawn very interesting conclusions on this topic. Among some of them we can highlight:
- That instability training reduced around 40% the total risk of suffering a lower extremities injury. This may be due to the improvement in the proprioception of soft tissues, or even to improve balance with instability training.
- Progression in training for the creation of unstable situations
Below we show an example for the creation of unstable situations. This work is based on the progression of less difficulty in tasks. In this way it will be easier to get and carry an adequate progression when designing training sessions.
- Support base (from highest to lowest).
- Speed of movement, from isometric to dynamic.
- Associated motor patterns (oculopédic and oculomanual coordination).
- Disturbance of the regular balance system (visual system and position).
- Unstable surface. Progression from higher to lower degrees of movement and instability level.
- Supports, from highest to lower number of supports.
- Greater muscle tension with external resistance.
- Use of displacements.
All these variables can be introduced in isolation or jointly, depending on the specific situation of the trained person. It is important to individualize work.
Comparative work instability vs stability
After reviewing scientific literature and extracting information from relevant articles, we can point out some existing conclusions about whether to train on unstable surfaces or, on the contrary, do it on a stable surface.
Some of these comparisons refer to:
Some studies compared Core’s muscular activation through unstable means or the same exercises without instability but with high loads. After analyzing the results, it is obtained that the greatest activation is achieved from a stable medium.
In another study, they compared the muscular activation of the paravertebral zone after conventional dead weight on stable surface, or on unstable surface. Once the records of the electromyographic activity were analyzed, they found that the best results in terms of force and muscle activation were achieved in the execution of this exercise on stable surface.
Most studies conclude that at higher levels of external instability, less application of agonist force. Therefore, to improve strength benefits we need to have high levels of external stability.
Regarding muscle activation in the upper extremities, studies explain that the muscular activation of triceps and deltoid were greater with the Push-up and chest when they were executed on unstable conditions. However, no significant differences were found in the muscle activation of the pectoralis major and the anterior rectum of the abdomen when performing these exercises on stable or unstable surfaces.
conclusion
Not all studies have been able to demonstrate greater electromyographic and musculature activation records when performing exercises on an unstable basis. In addition, it is important to know that muscle activation can be influenced by the use of an unstable surface. This circumstance is due to the fact that there is not always a greater activation of the muscles that participate in the movement.
In the first place we must know what is the true objective of our training and then to be able to choose if the use of this medium is beneficial as a complement and never exclusively. With which, we must investigate and analyze in order to demonstrate whether there is a greater advantage or disadvantage when performing the exercises on stable or unstable surface.
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