Effects of Slackline Training on the Balance Ability of Healthy Adults

Background: A slackline is an elastic synthetic fibre tie stretched between two anchor points, which is used for balancing. It serves increasingly as training device in several sport disciplines and as therapy device, especially to improve the balance ability. Objective: This review investigated whether slackline training improves the balance ability in healthy adults. Method: A systematic research was performed in the following databases: Cochrane (all databases), PubMed, Cinahl, Medpilot, PEDro, SPORTDiscus, "virtuelle Fachbibliothek Sportwissenschaften" and "Bundesinstitut fur Sportwissenschaften (BISp)". All articles registered in these databases until January 2014 were considered and all RCT and CCT investigating the effects of slackline training on the balance ability were included. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Their quality achieved 3 - 7 points on the PEDro scale. The studies produced heterogeneous results regarding the effect of slackline training on the balance ability. 3 studiews found no significant effects. The other studies showed significant improvements (p < 0.05) of the slackline group in comparison to the control group in at least one aspect of the measured balance ability. Conclusion: The current studies cannot clearly prove whether slackline training improves the balance ability.