Effects of Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue on Balance Performance in Female Athletes

August 6, 2026 updated by: Berkay Löklüoğlu

Effects of Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue on Static and Dynamic Balance Performance in Female Athletes

Taekwondo is a high-intensity combat sport characterized by repeated explosive kicking actions and rapid changes in body position, requiring well-developed postural control to maintain technical performance and reduce injury risk. Although fatigue has been reported to impair balance performance, previous studies have primarily induced fatigue using non-specific laboratory protocols that do not adequately reflect the physiological and neuromuscular demands of taekwondo competition. Consequently, the effects of taekwondo-specific fatigue on static and dynamic balance performance remain insufficiently understood. The primary objective of this study will be to investigate the effects of a taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol on static and dynamic balance performance in female taekwondo athletes. Eighteen competitive female taekwondo athletes will participate in this single-group repeated-measures study. Following a familiarization session, participants will complete a standardized taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol consisting of three 2-minute rounds separated by 1-minute passive recovery periods, replicating the official Olympic competition format. Static and dynamic balance performance will be assessed before and immediately after the fatigue protocol using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Balance performance will be evaluated under static and dynamic testing conditions, and the Overall Stability Index, Anteroposterior Stability Index, and Mediolateral Stability Index will be recorded. The findings of this study are expected to improve understanding of the acute effects of sport-specific fatigue on postural control in female taekwondo athletes and may contribute to the development of evidence-based training and injury prevention strategies.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

20

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female taekwondo athletes aged 18-20 years.
  • Regular participation in taekwondo training (minimum 3 sessions per week).
  • Minimum of 3 years of competitive taekwondo experience.
  • Free from musculoskeletal injury at the time of testing.
  • Willingness to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any musculoskeletal injury within the previous 6 months.
  • Neurological, vestibular, or balance disorders.
  • Lower-extremity surgery within the previous 12 months.
  • Any medical condition preventing participation in maximal exercise.
  • Failure to complete the testing protocol

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental research design
Female taekwondo athletes will complete a standardized taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol. Static and dynamic balance performance will be assessed immediately before and after the fatigue protocol during a single experimental session.
Behavioral: Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue Protocol
Participants will perform a standardized taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol designed to reproduce the physiological and neuromuscular demands of an official taekwondo match. Static and dynamic balance performance will be evaluated immediately before and after completion of the protocol.
Behavioral: Static balance test
Static balance performance will be assessed using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Mean Overall Stability Index (OSI) score, mean Anteroposterior Stability Index (APSI) score, and mean Mediolateral Stability Index (MLSI) score will be calculated automatically by the system. The static balance condition will be combined with an eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level (a fixed support); this condition will designed to reflect support-fixed, vision-deprived postural control, where the participant must maintain postural stability without visual cues on a stable surface.
Behavioral: Dynamic balance test
Dynamic balance performance will be assessed using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Mean Overall Stability Index (OSI) score, mean Anteroposterior Stability Index (APSI) score, and mean Mediolateral Stability Index (MLSI) score will be calculated automatically by the system. The dynamic balance condition combines an eyes-open stance with the platform stability set to level 5 (an unstable platform that requires active postural adjustments). This condition will be designed to reflect visually guided, mechanically unstable postural control, where the participant must rely on real-time visual feedback to compensate for continuous platform tilt.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Overall Stability Index (OSI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
The Mean Overall Stability Index Score is the arithmetic mean of Overall Stability Index values automatically calculated by the Biodex system at the end of each 20-second single-leg stance trial. This index is a unitless score representing the standard deviation of platform tilt about both the anteroposterior and mediolateral axes combined; it reflects composite postural sway during the trial. Each participant completed the trial barefoot on her dominant lower extremity, under two within-subject conditions: (i) dynamic balance (eyes-open stance with the Biodex platform stability set to level 5), and (ii) static balance (eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level). The index is a unitless score representing the standard deviation of platform tilt about the corresponding axis; the theoretical minimum score is 0, which represents perfect postural stability. There is no fixed theoretical upper limit of these indices. Higher scores indicate poorer balance performance.
Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
Mean Mediolateral Stability Index (MLSI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
The Mean Mediolateral Stability Index Score is the arithmetic mean of Mediolateral Stability Index values automatically calculated by the Biodex Balance System at the end of each 20-second single-leg stance trial. This index is a unitless score representing the standard deviation of platform tilt about the frontal axis only; it reflects mediolateral sway and is associated with hip-abductor-driven postural control. Each participant will complete the trial barefoot on her dominant lower extremity (the foot preferred for kicking a ball) under two within-subject conditions: (i) dynamic balance (eyes-open stance with the Biodex platform stability set to level 5), and (ii) static balance (eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level). Theoretically, this index has a minimum value of 0, which represents perfect postural stability; there is no fixed theoretical upper limit. Higher scores indicate poorer balance performance.
Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
Mean Anterior-Posterior Stability Index (APSI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.
The Mean Anterior-Posterior Stability Index Score is the arithmetic mean of Anterior-Posterior Stability Index values automatically calculated by the Biodex system at the end of each 20-second single-leg stance trial. This index is a unitless score representing the standard deviation of platform tilt about the sagittal axis only; it reflects anteroposterior sway and is associated with the ankle strategy of postural control. Each participant will complete the trial barefoot on her dominant lower extremity (the foot preferred for kicking a ball) under two within-subject conditions: (i) dynamic balance (eyes-open stance with the Biodex platform stability set to level 5), and (ii) static balance (eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level). Theoretically, this index has a minimum value of 0, which represents perfect postural stability; there is no fixed theoretical upper limit. Higher scores indicate poorer balance performance.
Baseline and immediately after the taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Age
Time Frame: Only baseline.
The mean chronological age of participants at the time of enrollment will be reported in years. Age will be derived from each participant's official identification date of birth and the calendar date of the first balance testing session. It will be used solely as a descriptive baseline demographic variable.
Only baseline.
Mean Body Mass Index
Time Frame: Only baseline.
Mean Body Mass Index is the arithmetic mean of participant-level BMI values aggregated from body mass (kg) and height (m) according to the standard formula BMI = body mass (kg) / height² (m²). Body mass will be measured in kilograms and standing height in centimeters by a single trained experimenter during the enrollment session. Each participant-level BMI is therefore a single aggregated value derived from two distinct unit-of-measure measurements; height (centimeters) and body mass (kilograms) are not reported separately. It will be used solely as a descriptive baseline demographic variable.
Only baseline.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Berkay Löklüoğlu

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 25, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 6, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 279

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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