Unstable Training Slows Gains in Athletic Performance
Written by Steve Blechman and Thomas Fahey, EdD
Training on unstable surfaces, such as Swiss balls (resemble large beach balls) or bosu balls (half ball on platform), is extremely popular in health clubs and with athletic teams around the world. Unstable surface training increases the activation of trunk muscles that stabilize the spine. This is the “core” composed of the abdominal, back and side trunk muscles.
Athletes train with weights to increase power, sprinting and jumping capacity. High-intensity training is critical for building strength and power. While unstable training increases core muscle activation, training on stable surfaces better overloads the large muscles of the legs and hips.
University of Connecticut scientists, in a 10-week study, found that lower body strength training on stable surfaces produced better improvements in athletic performance than unstable training in elite college soccer players. Unstable training caused few changes in measures of power important in sports such as softball, tennis, golf or volleyball.
Researchers concluded that unstable training does not overload the muscles enough to produce meaningful improvements in strength, power and Athletic Performance. While unstable training may promote recovery from injuries, it is not an effective way to increase strength and power for sports. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 21: 561-567, 2007
