The Role of Muscle Strength and Balance in Preventing Injury Risk Among Beginner Skiers

Abstract

Study aim(s): The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between back and leg muscle strength, balance parameters, and the number of falls among individuals participating in beginner-level alpine skiing training. Specifically, it evaluates how lower extremity and back strength, along with static balance ability, influence the occurrence of falls during skiing. Since falls may serve as a potential precursor to injuries in high-risk sports such as skiing, the study also explores the role of physical fitness in preventing these incidents.

Methods: A total of 23 volunteer participants (10 females and 13 males) undergoing alpine skiing training were included in the study. Participants' age, height, body weight, and BMI were recorded. Muscle strength was measured isometrically using back and leg dynamometers, while balance ability was assessed using the Flamingo Balance Test. Fall data were classified by coach observation during the training period into three descent-related falls, other falls, and total number of falls. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26.0 software, and relationships between variables were examined using Pearson’s correlation analysis.

Results: The highest number of falls occurred during downhill training. Leg strength showed moderate negative correlations with descent-related falls (r = –0.40, p = 0.034) and total falls (r = –0.42, p = 0.031), indicating that greater lower-limb strength was associated with fewer falls. Back strength was negatively correlated with all fall types (r = –0.27 to –0.37), although these relationships were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Balance performance showed moderate positive correlations with descent-related (r = 0.518, p = 0.011), other (r = 0.454, p = 0.029), and total falls (r = 0.556, p = 0.006), suggesting that poorer balance ability was linked to a higher frequency of falls.

Conclusions: The findings indicate that muscle strength and balance capacity significantly affect the frequency of falls among novice skiers. As falls are potential precursor to injuries in high-risk sports like skiing, these results underscore the importance of physical fitness components in fall prevention. Therefore, systematically incorporating strength- and balance-focused training into ski education programs may serve as an effective strategy to reduce injury risk and enhance athlete safety.