Differences in Sports Test Scores Depending on Occlusal Stability of Elite- Level Junior Badminton Players

Author(s): Yogetsu Bando and Mutsumi Takahashi

The purpose of this study was to clarify the differences in sports test scores according to occlusal stability in elite-level junior badminton players. The participants were 10- to 17-year-old Japanese national badminton players (56 males and 54 females) who had been invited to the Nippon Badminton Association junior representative selection meeting. Based on the eruption status of the molars, they were divided into two groups: under 12 years old and over 14 years old, and further divided into two groups: stable and unstable occlusal groups based on their occlusal state. Sports tests (sit-ups, side-steps, double jumps, triple jump, fivestep jump, and sprint) were conducted, and these scores were compared by gender and occlusal stability using two-way ANOVA. No differences in sports test scores according to occlusal stability were observed in players aged 12 years and under. In players aged 14 years and over, the scores for side-steps, double jumps, and five-step jump were significantly higher in the occlusal stable group for both sexes (P<0.01, P<0.05). The results of this study revealed that the sports test scores of elite-level junior badminton players are influenced by occlusal stability. It was clarified that among athletes whose molars had fully erupted, those with good occlusal stability had higher scores in side steps, double jump, and five-step jump. This suggests that to utilize occlusion for trunk stabilization and cutting movements, it may be necessary to have a stable left–right balance of occlusion supported by the molars.