This study aimed to determine the effects of open kinetic chain (OKC) and closed kinetic chain (CKC) exercises on visual reaction times and certain motor skills in young male boxers. Twelve young male athletes (mean age: 16.92±1.08 years) voluntarily participated in this study, which employed a pretest-posttest experimental research model, a quantitative research method, without a control group. The Ethics Committee Approval required for the research was received from Muş Alparslan University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee with decision number 9/73 dated 08.11.2023. Prior to and following training in OKC and CKC exercises, the athletes were tested on visual reaction times, vertical jumping, and flexibility. The paired samples t-test was applied to normally distributed data. According to our findings, there were no significant differences in the visual reaction time and flexibility tests with respect to the pre- and post-test results for the OKC exercises (p ˃ .05), although a significant difference was detected for the vertical jump test (p ˂ .05), with the post-test values determined to be lower than the pre-test values. While there were no significant differences in the CKC exercise pre-and post-test results for the vertical jump and flexibility tests (p ˃.05), a significant difference was observed in the visual reaction test (p ˂ .05), for which the post-test values were lower than the pre-test values. Based on these results, OKC exercises were determined to have a negative impact on jumping ability, whereas CKC exercises exhibited positive effects on visual reaction times. The use of CKC exercises can thus be recommended for studies aimed at improving visual reaction performance in young male boxers.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of various durations of dynamic warm-up exercise on different jump types in young male boxers. Fourteen young male athletes (mean age: 16.86±1.03 years, height: 172.57±11.34 cm, body weight: 65.21±16.42 kg) voluntarily participated in the study, which employed a pretest-posttest experimental research model, a quantitative method, without a control group. The athletes were instructed to run for 5 minutes at an average heart rate of 120 beats/min, followed by dynamic stretching consisting of 10 different exercises for durations of 5, 10, and 15 minutes on different days. After each period of different dynamic exercises, the participants performed drop jump, countermovement jump, and squat jump tests. The SPSS package program was used to analyze the data obtained from the research. Repeated Measures ANOVA and the Bonferroni test, a post-hoc test, were applied to normally distributed data. Examining the drop jump test results, a significant difference was detected between the various dynamic warm-up times (p < .05), with the distance measured after the 10-minute exercise period higher than those following the 5- and 15-minute warm-up periods. There were no significant differences between the dynamic warm-up times (p ˃ .05) for the countermovement jump and squat jump tests. As a result, dynamic warm-up exercises were determined to improve the drop jump performance of young male boxers, with the 10-minute exercise duration more positively affecting drop jump performance than either the 5- or 15-minute warm-up periods.

Background and Study Aim. Core training has gained prominence as a crucial component in improving athletic performance, particularly in sports that demand high levels of coordination, balance, and explosive power. Badminton, which requires rapid directional changes, agility, and lower-body strength, may particularly benefit from such training methods. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of a four-week core training program on speed, agility, strength and jumping performance in 10 to 12 year old female badminton players. Material and Methods. This study was designed as a pre-test–post-test control group experimental research using quantitative methods. Twenty-two female badminton athletes who participated voluntarily were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 11) and a control group (n = 11). The experimental group performed a core training program twice a week for four weeks in addition to regular badminton training. The control group performed only regular badminton training during this period. Sprint tests (10 m and 20 m), T agility test, leg strength, hand grip strength, and countermovement jump (CMJ) tests were administered to all participants before and after the training period. The normality of the data was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Data with normal distribution were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results. According to the findings, there were no significant differences between the pre-test values of the groups (p > 0.05). Over time, significant improvements were observed in the T agility test (p = .047; ηp² = .18) and the CMJ test (p = .024; ηp² = .23). Both results indicated large effect sizes. No significant differences were observed in the 10 m and 20 m sprint, leg strength, or hand grip strength tests (p > 0.05). Regarding the interaction between time and group, significant differences were again found in the T agility test (p = .045; ηp² = .19) and the CMJ test (p = .014; ηp² = .26), both indicating large effect sizes. No significant time × group interactions were found for sprint, leg strength, or hand grip strength variables (p > 0.05). Conclusions. The four-week core training program applied to youth female badminton players had positive effects on agility and jumping performance. Based on these results, incorporating core training into the routine practice of youth athletes is recommended to enhance agility and explosive power in sports that require rapid directional changes.

This study aimed to evaluate the awareness levels of secondary school students studying in different climatic conditions toward winter sports by employing a descriptive scanning model, a quantitative research method. The SPSS 22.0 package program was used to analyze the data, while normality was assessed using the Kolmogorov and Smirnov tests. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests were performed for normally distributed data. In addition, the homogeneity of the variances was examined to determine between which groups the statistically significant differences occurred; since the variances did not exhibit homogeneous features, Tamhane’s T2 test, a post-hoc multiple comparison technique, was used. A significance level of p < .05 was accepted for the findings obtained from the analyses. In order to test the reliability of the scales, internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) were calculated, with the results presented in table format. Based on our findings, certain demographic and socioeconomic variables were observed to affect the awareness levels of secondary school students with regard to winter sports. Comparing students living in different climatic conditions, a greater awareness of winter sports was found among those residing in regions with low snowfall, where winter conditions are unsuited to winter sports. The level of awareness concerning winter sports was thus determined to vary according to education, socioeconomic situation, and demographic characteristics rather than climatic conditions

Background: The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effects of a four-week running-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) intervention on the reactive strength index (RSI) and motor abilities in youth football players. In this context, the contributions of the running-based HIIT protocol HIIT protocol, implemented in addition to regular football training, were evaluated on performance indicators such as speed, back strength, change of direction (COD), and countermovement jump (CMJ). This study aims to contribute to the development of scientifically grounded training programs to support performance improvement in youth football players. Methods: A quantitative research design was employed in this study, specifically a randomized pretest–posttest controlled experimental design. Twenty male youth football players, aged 11–13 years, who voluntarily participated in the study were randomly allocated to either the experimental group (EG; n = 10) or the control group (CON; n = 10). The EG participated in a running-based HIIT program three times per week for four weeks by replacing a low-to-moderate-intensity technical–tactical segment of their regular football training, whereas the CON continued with only regular football training during this period without any additional training volume. The players underwent RSI, 10 m, 20 m, and 30 m sprint tests, back strength tests, the Illinois Agility Test, and CMJ tests both before the training sessions and at the end of the four-week intervention. Results: According to the repeated-measures ANOVA results, pretest values did not differ significantly between the groups ( p > .05). Over the 4-week period, significant improvements with large effect sizes were observed in RSI, sprint performance (10, 20, 30 m), back strength, COD, and CMJ tests ( p < .05; ηp² = 0.29–0.55). Significant group × time interactions were also detected for all variables, again with large effect sizes ( p < .05; ηp² = 0.20–0.30), indicating greater improvements in the EG compared to the CON. However, despite these favourable within-group changes, between-group post-test comparisons did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: This study revealed that a 4-week HIIT intervention applied to youth male football players had positive effects on the RSI and motor abilities, as evidenced by large within-group improvements and significant group × time interactions, despite the absence of statistically significant between-group post-test differences. These findings suggest that HIIT protocols should be integrated into training programs as an effective strategy to improve explosive strength, COD, and overall functional performance in young athletes. Trial registration: This randomized controlled trial was retrospectively registered with ISRCTN (ISRCTN45188963) on 16 July 2025 due to administrative delays during ethics approval and registry processing.

This study investigates the acute effects of dynamic warm-up (DWU) and plyometric warm-up (PWU) protocols on sprint, strength, flexibility, and jump performance in young taekwondo athletes. A total of 17 participants (9 females, 8 males; mean age = 13.06 ± 0.97 years) completed two warm-up sessions in randomized order, separated by a 48-hour interval. Performance outcomes included 10 m and 20 m sprint times, leg strength, sit-and-reach flexibility, and countermovement jump (CMJ). Data collection was conducted under standardized conditions in a school gymnasium to minimize external variability. Results showed no significant differences between protocols for 10 m and 20 m sprint tests (p > 0.05). However, PWU produced significantly greater improvements in leg strength, flexibility, and CMJ performance compared to DWU (p < 0.05), with large effect sizes observed. These findings highlight that PWU strategies may offer superior acute benefits for enhancing explosive strength and flexibility in taekwondo athletes. This study contributes novel evidence to combat sports literature, emphasizing the importance of tailored warm-up protocols for optimizing athletic performance.