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Influence of exercise interventions on functional movement screen scores in athletes: a systematic review and
Ali Asghar Maleki1, Seyed Hamed Mousavi2, Mohamad Ali Biabangard1
1Department of Sport Injuries and Biomechanics, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:
The functional movement screen (FMS) is a widely recognized tool for evaluating movement patterns and identifying potential injury risks in athletes. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of various exercise interventions in enhancing FMS scores, thus shedding light on their potential roles in optimizing movement quality and reducing injury risk. We conducted comprehensive searches of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase (through May 2025) to identify experimental studies reporting pre-post changes in FMS after structured exercise interventions. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data, assessed study quality using the PEDro scale and ROBINS-I tool, rated evidence certainty via GRADE, and then performed random-effects meta-analyses in RevMan 5.4 to calculate pooled mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Forty trials encompassing 1,604 athletes met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analyses revealed moderate-certainty improvements in FMS scores for resistance training (MD = 2.21; 95% CI 1.82-2.61; P < 0.001; I2 = 18%), integrated training (MD = 1.92; 1.57-2.27; P < 0.001; I2 = 13%), neuromuscular training (MD = 2.31; 1.64-2.98; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%), core stability training (MD = 2.89; 2.46-3.32; P < 0.001; I2 = 45%), and functional training (MD = 1.74; 1.34-2.13; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%). In contrast, the FIFA 11 + warm-up had a smaller effect (MD = 1.69; 0.79-2.60; P < 0.001), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 84%) and very low certainty. Targeted exercise interventions, particularly those focused on resistance, neuromuscular, and core stability training, effectively increase FMS scores, which may improve movement quality and lower injury risk. However, caution is warranted when linking FMS improvements directly to performance outcomes, and further research is needed to determine how these interventions benefit specific athletic populations, ranging from youth to professional athletes.
