Loss of postural stability can possibly lead to slip and fall accidents in the number of workplaces and everyday life. This study was aimed to examine the effects of whole body fatigue and partially limited visual field on the ability of maintaining postural balance during quiet standing. A group of twelve healthy male subjects participated in the experiment. Before and after experiencing the whole body fatigue induced by bicycling exercises, the position coordinates of subject’s center of pressure (COP) were obtained under the two levels of visual field condition (i.e., open visual field and limited visual field). Four levels of the whole body fatigue examined were rest, 300watt, 600watt, and 900watt. Position coordinates of COPs measured on a force plate were then converted into the total length of postural sway path in both the medio-lateral (ML) direction and the anterior-posterior (AP) direction. Two-way ANOVA result showed that the length of sway path in the AP direction became significantly larger as the whole body fatigue accumulated. Post-hoc test revealed statistically significant differences between rest and 900watt and between 300watt and 900watt. The significant increase of the sway length was also found when the visual field was partially obstructed by the boxes. In the ML direction, however, there was no statistically significant difference of the postural sway in both the AP and ML directions. The results imply that the ability of maintaining postural stability can be reduced significantly due to such tasks along with whole body fatigue. The postural balance can also be impaired by the limited visual field.

1. 서 론
 2. 실험방법
  2.1 피실험자
  2.2 실험장비
  2.3 실험계획
  2.4 실험절차
 3. 실험 결과
  3.1 신체 전후 방향의 동요길이 분석결과
  3.2 신체 좌우 방향의 동요길이 분석결과
 4. 결론 및 토의
 References

• 박성하(한남대학교 산업경영공학과) | Sung Ha Park Corresponding Author