In the years 1988-2000 investigations of the equilibrium system in athletes were conducted by examining the vestibuloocular and vestibulospinal reflexes. The vestibuloocular reflexes were examined in 62 athletes and 30 control subjects, by applying the Fitzgerald-Hallpike caloric test with electronystagmographic recording. The phenomenon of vestibular habituation in athletes was expressed by a reduction of caloric excitability, particularly at maximum frequency and maximum angular velocity of the slow phase of nystagmus. Various methods were applied in examining vestibulospinal reflexes. In 17 swimmers and 20 control subjects the Heath's railwalking test was used. A lower efficiency of reflexes was noted in swimmers in that trial, probabbly due to specific conditions of swimming. The Unterberger-Fukuda's stepping test was applied to 141 competitors of various sports and to 194 control subjects. The athletes were found to have higher efficiency of vestibulospinal reflexes as expressed by smaller translocations of the body in all directions. A group of 370 gymnasts and ex-gymnasts were examined posturographically, the translocations of the centre of gravity being recorded. Highest correlations were found between the length of line and field of record. In the tests repeated every minute, the length of line and the field of record were gradually decreasing, but no day-to-day changes were observed.
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