Manutenção do equilíbrio corporal de adultos jovens e idosos ativos

The balance and the postural control are associated so much to the aging process as the practice of physical exercises. Thus, becomes important the knowledge of the function of the vision in the maintenance of the balance in different age groups in active individuals. This study, objectified to analyze the displacement of center force in anteroposterior (COPap) and midlateral (COPml) directions during the balance in young and elderly actives, without and with use the visual information. 66 individuals was availed divided in two groups: (group 1) young people of 20,331,86 years old and (group 2) elderly people of 67,426,2 years old. The corporal balance was assessed and analyzed through the kinetic data of a platform of force OR6-5 AMTI. The data were collected in 6 attempts of 30 seconds, in a frequency of 100 Hz, in the conditions: open and closed eyes, with three attempts for each condition. For the results comparison it was used t test with significance level of 5%. The results found for the young with the use vision were of 0.84cm and 0.63cm for the anteroposterior and midlateral, respectively. The elderly presented values of 1.33cm and 1.02cm for these same variables. Without use of visual information the found values were of 0.95cm anteroposterior cm and 0.68cm midlateral in the young and 1.46 anteroposterior and 1.21cm midlateral for the elderly. All the comparisons aimed significant differences with p<0,001. Like this, in spite of practice regular exercises, the elderly presented larger corporal oscillations as much with as without use of vision.