The Effects of Neuro-Athletic Training on Performance Parameters and Injury Risk in Taekwondo Athletes

Our study is a randomized controlled trial. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of neuro-athletic training on balance, agility, jump performance parameters, and injury risk in Taekwondo athletes.

The hypotheses are as follows:

H0: Neuro-athletic training has no effects on balance, agility, jump performance parameters, and injury risk in Taekwondo athletes.

H1: Neuro-athletic training has effects on balance, agility, jump performance parameters, and injury risk in Taekwondo athletes.

A total of 26 participants will be included in the study. Randomization will be used to divide them into two groups: 13 participants in the experimental group and 13 participants in the control group.

nclusion criteria for participants are: regular participation in Taekwondo training for at least two years, no musculoskeletal injury within the last six months, participation in Taekwondo training at least two days per week during the past two years, anterior reach distance asymmetry of 4 cm or more after the Y-Balance Test (YBT), and voluntary participation in the study.

Exclusion criteria are: hip/pelvis, knee, or ankle surgery within the last year, presence of a neurological disorder, use of any medication that may affect balance, vestibular system disorders, and diagnosis of attention deficit. Power analysis was conducted using G*Power 3.1 software to determine the sample size. For repeated measures ANOVA with two groups and two measurement points, the effect size reported in a previous study for the Taekwondo-Specific Agility Test (TSAT) variable (η²p = 0.26) was taken as reference. With α = 0.05 and power (1-β) = 0.95, a total of 26 participants was calculated to be sufficient.

Participants, both male and female athletes, will be randomized into two groups using the sealed envelope method. Each group will consist of 13 athletes. In the experimental group, athletes will perform a neuro-athletic exercise program in addition to their regular training program, while athletes in the control group will continue only with their regular training. he study is planned to last eight weeks. Athletes will continue their normal training routines, but those in the experimental group will perform neuro-athletic exercises twice a week during the warm-up phase of their training. The program consists of 15-20 minutes of neuro-athletic exercises, as described in Table 1, and will be implemented for eight weeks. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and at the end of the eighth week (pre-test and post-test).

All participants will be informed in detail about the purpose of the study, procedures, and forms used, and written informed consent will be obtained.

The methods of evaluation include anthropometric measurements, Y-Balance Test, Reactive Balance Test, vertical jump assessment, and the Taekwondo-Specific Agility Test.

The study is planned to be conducted at Konya Selçuklu Municipality Sports School.

The expected benefit of the study is that neuro-athletic training, which focuses on the training of the central and peripheral nervous system, will improve communication between the brain and the body, thereby enhancing movement quality and training quality. For Taekwondo athletes, balance, agility, and jump height are crucial for success in competitions. Although the literature suggests that neuro-athletic training improves these parameters, the number of clinical studies is limited. Therefore, the expected benefit of this study is to clinically demonstrate the effectiveness of neuro-athletic training, enhance athlete performance, and contribute to injury prevention.