The Effects of Vision Training Applied to Kumite Karate National Team Athletes

This study examines the effects of visual training applied to professional kumite karate athletes. In karate, rapid decision-making, opponent perception at the right time, effective implementation of strategic moves and reaction time are largely dependent on visual perception skills. In this context, our study investigated how vision training improves visual acuity and sportive performance of kumite karate athletes.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Health Individuals; Atlhetes
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Routine Training Program; Other: Vision Training Program

Detailed Description

Before the study, ethical approval was obtained from Marmara University Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee with the number 09.2024.611. The study was started with 24 national athletes from Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Kağıtspor Team and was carried out on 23 athletes after one athlete in the control group was injured. The athletes who were examined by an ophthalmologist before the study, who did not have any visual problems and who did not have any surgical operation and/or injury history that would adversely affect the balance in the last 6 months were randomly divided into 2 groups. The 12-member vision training group was subjected to a vision training programme that included eye exercises accompanied by a physiotherapist for 3 sessions per week in addition to their routine training for 4 weeks, while the control group continued their routine training. At the beginning of the study (week 0) and at the end of the training (week 4), 't ruler-nelson hand reaction test', 'sit & lie flexibility test' were performed by another physiotherapist, and 'snellen test' measurements were performed by an ophthalmologist for 'visual acuity' evaluation of the athletes. The researcher who performed the reaction time and flexibility measurements and the physician who assessed visual acuity performed the measurements without knowing which group the athletes were in. After statistically homogeneous-normality evaluation of the groups, Independent Sample t Test was used for comparison of descriptive characteristics between the groups. Mixed-order analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the variables in the groups according to the follow-up times. Bonferroni correction was applied for the comparison of main effects in the analyses. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 23
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Kocaeli, Turkey
    • Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Kağıtspor

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being a 'Karate-Do' style athlete in Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Kağıtspor
• To be at A national team level
• To continue active sports life
• To be between the ages of 15-35

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having any eye disease
• Any surgery or serious pathology in the last 6 months
• Any history of traumatic brain injury in the last 6 months
• Upper/lower extremity injury in the last 3 months
• Having one of the systemic disorders (such as musculoskeletal system, respiratory system) Being younger than fifteen years old and older than thirty-five years old History of a disease related to balance, vestibular system Regular use of medication related to the vestibular system, vision and balance Presence of congenital anomalies

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Control Group; The karate athletes in the control group continued their routine training planned by the national team during the study.	Other: Routine Training Program; All athletes continued their routine training programmes planned by the national team coaches for karate sport during the training period.
Experimental: Vision Training Group; The karate athletes in the vision training group participated in a vision training programme that included eye movements and was applied by one of the researcher physiotherapists in addition to their routine training planned by the national team. The application was applied for 10 minutes in 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks.	Other: Routine Training Program; All athletes continued their routine training programmes planned by the national team coaches for karate sport during the training period.; Other: Vision Training Program; Vision Training Programme: A training programme including exercises such as saccadic movements of the eye, spiral movements, converging-diverging exercises, peripheral walking was applied.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual Acuity Assessment	Visual acuity was assessed by an ophthalmologist using a Snellen chart.	Pre-study (week 0) and post-study (week 4)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Reaction Time Assessment (cm)	It is a test that measures reaction time to visual stimuli. In the hand reaction test, the ruler is placed between the fingers of the hand. The practitioner holds the ruler by the tip and above. He/she releases the ruler a while after giving the ready signal. The subject tries to catch the ruler as soon as possible. The reaction time is calculated and recorded according to the distance at the point of catching. 3 repetitions are done and the average value is recorded.	Pre-study (week 0) and post-study (week 4)
Sit & Reach Test (cm)	Sit on the floor and rest bare feet flat on the test bench. The torso (waist and hips) is tilted forward and the knees are asked to reach as far as possible forward without bending the knees, with the hands in front of the body. The subject tries to reach the farthest point in this way and waits 2 seconds at the last point and the value is recorded. The tester stands next to the subject and prevents the subject's knees from bending. The test is repeated three times and the average value is recorded.	Pre-study (week 0) and post-study (week 4)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Marmara University
• Investigators: Study Director: Tugba KURU COLAK, Prof.Dr., Marmara University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 16, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 27, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): October 8, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 14, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 14, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): October 16, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 18, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 16, 2024
• Last Verified: October 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: reaction time; vision training; vision acuity
• Other Study ID Numbers: MU-SBE-FTR-MŞE-02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No