An Exploratory Study of the Acute Effects of Football Heading on Postural Control and Corticospinal Inhibition

Repetitive non-concussive head impacts (NCHIs) may contribute to long-term neurodegenerative conditions. However, objective, multimodal methods for monitoring acute changes in brain health biomarkers following NCHIs remain underdeveloped. In this exploratory study, we examined the effects of ten kicking and ten heading trials related to association football on linear and nonlinear measures of postural control and corticospinal inhibition. Postural control was assessed via force platform analysis in dual-stance and single-leg protocols, and corticospinal inhibition was measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation with electromyography. Large effects of condition were found for anteroposterior postural complexity (CI-AP), anteroposterior sway amplitude, mediolateral centre of pressure shift and cortical silent period (η2 > 0.14). Pairwise comparisons revealed large post-heading effects, particularly in CI-AP, which decreased significantly relative to baseline (dz = 0.71, p = 0.018) and showed a moderate negative effect relative to post-kicking testing (dz = 0.53, p = 0.069). These findings suggest a possible reduction in postural control adaptability following exposure to ten NCHIs, consistent with patterns observed in mild traumatic brain injury. Whilst confirmatory research with larger samples is warranted, nonlinear measures of postural control complexity demonstrate promise as a sensitive biomarker for detecting acute NCHI-related changes.