IMPLEMENTING A STANDARDIZED INTERVENTIONAL EXERCISE REGIMEN TO IMPROVE FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS IN FEMALE COLLEGIATE...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Interventional exercises aim to enhance athlete performance on the Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS™).
• Limited research exists on standardized corrective exercise programs for female athletes.
• This study addresses the gap in understanding the impact of such programs on FMS™ scores in female collegiate athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an in-season, standardized interventional exercise program.
• To determine the program's impact on Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS™) composite scores and score asymmetry.
• To assess these effects specifically in female collegiate athletes across different sports.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, quasi-experimental cohort study design was employed.
• Forty-one NCAA Division III female athletes (soccer, softball, basketball) participated.
• Athletes underwent FMS™ screening pre- and post-season, engaging in standardized corrective exercises during their athletic seasons.

Main Results:

• Overall FMS™ composite scores showed a slight increase from pre- to post-season.
• Female soccer and softball players demonstrated significant increases in FMS™ scores.
• A significant decrease in the number of athletes exhibiting movement asymmetries was observed (24 to 15).
• Women's basketball players experienced a decrease in composite FMS™ scores.

Conclusions:

• Standardized in-season interventional programs can potentially improve FMS™ scores and reduce asymmetries in female athletes.
• The program demonstrated positive effects on FMS™ scores and asymmetry reduction in soccer and softball players.
• Further research is needed to investigate and mitigate the negative effects observed in women's basketball players, while highlighting potential injury resistance benefits for other sports.