Background and Aim. Balance performance is one of the significant requirements to achieve success in wrestling and kickboxing. Although the evaluation of balance performance is important in both sports branches, there are a limited number of studies on this subject. Additionally, there is no study comparing the two branches in terms of balance performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the balance performances of wrestling and kickboxing athletes. Material and Methods. Thirteen Greco-Roman wrestlers (age: 20.69 ± 1.32 years, height: 176.0 ± 4.30 cm, body mass: 75.54 ± 6.81 kg) and thirteen kickboxers (age: 20.23 ± 2.49 years, height: 177. 62 ± 5.03 cm, body mass: 77.08 ± 8.44 kg) who participated in national competitions were included in the study voluntarily. The Biodex Balance System (BBS, Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY) was used to test dynamic balance and three index scores were recorded: overall stability index (OSI), anterior-posterior stability index (APSI) and medio-lateral stability index (MLSI). Dynamic balance measurements of the participants were conducted with eyes open condition. An independent sample t-test was used to compare the outputs of the dynamic balance tests of wrestlers and kickboxers. All statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS software package, version 24.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results. The comparison of dynamic balance between kickboxers and wrestlers revealed no significant differences in the OSI, APSI, and MLSI parameters (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that despite the inherent differences in technical requirements and training protocols between kickboxing and wrestling, both groups of athletes demonstrate similar levels of proficiency in maintaining dynamic balance. Such parity challenges potential assumptions regarding disparities in balance performance across these disciplines. Conclusions. The balance performances of wrestling and kickboxing athletes are similar, as evidenced by the lack of significant differences in dynamic balance parameters between the two groups. This suggests that balance performance may be influenced by the specific features of each sport and the training levels of the athletes, rather than inherent differences between the sports themselves.

Background and Study Aim. The hamstring and quadriceps muscles can have strength differences because of the sportive activities. It is known that sportive hamstring quadriceps strength imbalance can cause decreasing sportive performance and injuries. Also, each sports branch can have a specific effect on the hamstring quadriceps strength ratio. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of different combat sports branches on the hamstring quadriceps ratio. Material and Methods. Wrestlers (N=10), boxers (N=10), wushu athletes (N=10) voluntarily participated in the study (also university students). Subjects were administered standard warm-up and then a strength measurement test was performed. Subjects performed knee extensor (quadriceps) and flexor (hamstring) isokinetic strength test (concentrically) with his dominant leg at 60° angular velocity with by Cybex device (Cybex NORM®. Humac. CA. USA). Peak and average strength were recorded automatically by the device. The SPSS package program was used in the analysis of the data. The isokinetic strength measurements of three groups were analyzed with one-way ANOVA. Results. There were no significant differences between groups’ peak isokinetic strength ratio (wrestlers 0.58±0.09 boxers 0.56±0.07 and wushu athletes 0.57±0.12). Also, the average isokinetic strength ratio was not significantly different (wrestlers 0.56±0.08. boxers 0.60±0.08 and wushu athletes 0.53±0.11). Conclusions. According to the results, it can be said that combat sports athletes' hamstring quadriceps ratio can be affected by their sports branches, also by characteristics and training levels.

Bu çalışmanın amacı; bitkinliğe varan ve kademeli olarak artan şiddetteki egzersiz sonrasında kanda oluşan laktat düzeylerinin cinsiyete göre değişimini incelemektir. Çalışmaya gönüllü olan ve araştırmaya dâhil edilme kriterlerine göre (18-20 yaş aralığında, benzer antrenman geçmişine, normal vücut kütle indeksi değerlerine (18.5-24.9 kg/m2) ve egzersiz öncesi normal laktat düzeyine sahip olan (<2 mmol)); 70 erkek (yaş:19.15±0.06 yıl; boy: 177.64±6.62 cm ve ağırlık: 67.99±6.52 kg) ve 30 kadın (yaş: 18.98±0.11 yıl; boy: 168.51±6.50 cm ve ağırlık: 58.16±7.34 kg) katılmıştır. Maksimal aerobik gücü belirlemek ve kademeli olarak artan şiddette egzersiz uygulamak üzere 20 m mekik testi uygulanmıştır. Kan laktat konsantrasyonları aerobik performans testinden önce ve hemen sonrasında kulak memesinden alınmıştır. Erkeklerin 20 m mekik testi değerlerine göre hesaplanan aerobik güçleri beklenildiği şekilde kadınlara göre daha yüksek olarak tespit edilmiştir (53.44±2.29 ml.kg-1.dk-1 karşın 43.35±4.95 ml.kg-1.dk-1, p<0.001). Maksimal oksijen tüketimi değerleri erkeklerde daha yüksek bulunmasına karşın, maksimal aerobik performanstan sonraki laktat seviyelerinin kadın ve erkekler arasında benzer olduğu görülmüştür (9.90±1.95 mmol/l karşın 9.46±1.69 mmol/l, p=0.28). Araştırmadan elde edilen sonuçlar göstermektedir ki, erkeklerin aerobik kapasitelerinin ve egzersiz performanslarının kadınlara göre yüksek olmasıyla birlikte, kanda biriken laktat düzeyleri benzerlik göstermektedir. Kadın ve erkeklerin maksimal egzersizden sonraki laktat düzeyleri arasında anlamlı farklılık tespit edilememiştir.

Visual response time is essential in combat sports such as taekwondo, as it allows players to react to the opponent's movement and quickly apply techniques with sufficient power. Therefore, it is necessary to determine how coordination exercises and routine training affect visual response time in Taekwondo players. Based on this information, our study aimed to investigate the effect of eight-week hand-eye coordination training on visual response time in 12-14-year-old male taekwondo players. Thirty-two male taekwondo athletes aged 12-14 participated in the study voluntarily. The participants were divided into a training group (n:16) and a control group (n:16). The training group practiced hand-eye coordination exercises and routine taekwondo training twice a week for eight weeks. The control group continued their routine taekwondo training without any coordination training. Visual response times before and after the hand-eye coordination training were determined using the Blazepod System. 2*2 Repeated Measures ANOVA was used to compare pre-test and post-test measures. The data were analyzed in SPSS 25.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), and the significance level was set as p

This study compared outcomes from the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) and the Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) and evaluated the test-retest reliability of both protocols in taekwondo and kickboxing athletes. Fifteen active athletes (taekwondo, n = 7; kickboxing, n = 8) participated in the study. The WAnT was conducted under laboratory conditions, while the RAST was administered as a field-based assessment. Peak power (PP), average power (AP), minimum power (MP), fatigue in-dex (FI), and total exercise duration (TED) were recorded. Between-group differences were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, and differences between test outcomes were assessed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Relationships among variables were examined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, and test-retest reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Significant differences were observed between WAnT and RAST for PP, AP, PP·kg⁻¹, AP·kg⁻¹, FI, and TED (p < 0.05), while MP and MP·kg⁻¹ did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). Very strong, highly positive correlations were found for relative PP, AP, and MP. In contrast, FI demonstrated a low, non-significant correlation. Test-retest analyses indicated excellent reliability for all absolute and relative power variables in both protocols, except for WAnT MP, which showed moderate reliability, and FI, which exhibited lower reliability in both tests. RAST is a reproducible and practically useful field-based test for assessing general anaerobic performance in taekwondo and kickboxing athletes, demonstrating good concurrent validity relative to WAnT for most power-related variables. However, as the two tests produced different absolute values for several outcomes, RAST should not be considered a direct substitute for WAnT. FI values should be interpreted with caution due to weaker between-test associations and lower reliability. RAST is recommended as a practical field-based option, but direct comparisons with WAnT values should be avoided.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health recommend distance, hygiene, and the use of masks in the fight against epidemics. Therefore, everyone from children to the elderly, from healthy people to all individuals with chronic diseases must wear a mask while performing their daily activities. After the activities they perform at a slow or fast rhythm, they rest in a mask. Therefore, the study aimed to examine the effect of surgical mask use on recovery heart rate during gradually increasing walking. Nine healthy university students without chronic diseases and orthopedic disorders participated in the study voluntarily. Participants performed a gradually increasing walking protocol on a treadmill with and without surgical masks on two different days at least 48 hours apart, and then recovered in a sitting position for 10 minutes, again with and without masks. Data on body temperature, blood pressure (BP), blood lactate level (LA), heart rate (HR), total quality of recovery (TQR), and borg-breathlessness (B-B) were collected. No statistically significant differences were found between unmasked and masked body temperature, lactate level, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean recovery HR, end-of-recovery HR, and total heart rate. On the other hand, breathlessness was felt more in masked recovery compared to unmasked recovery and total quality of recovery was felt lower. As a result; it can be said that the use of surgical masks during gradually increasing walking affects the participants psychologically, although it does not affect them physiologically in recovery.