JOURNAL OF EXERCISE REHABILITATION, cilt.13, sa.5, ss.535-540, 2017 (ESCI)
To increase movement capacity and to reduce injury risk in young soccer players by implementing a special functional exercise program based on functional movement screen (FMS) and correctives. 67 young male athletes 14-19 years of age from a Super League Football Club Academy participated in the study. Functional movement patterns were evaluated with FMS assessment protocol. Deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push-up, and rotatory stability were examined in FMS. Considering the FMS scores the number of intervention and control groups were defined as 24 and 43, respectively. Intervention program was composed of 1 hr twice a week sessions in total of 12 weeks with 4 weeks of mobility, 4 weeks of stability, and 4 weeks of integration exercises. At the end of 12-week intervention and control groups were re-evaluated with FMS protocol. Contact and noncontact sports injuries recorded during one season. In intervention group there was statistically significant difference in increase in total FMS scores (P<0.01), deep squat (P= 0.001), hurdle step (P<0.05), inline lunge (P<0.01), and trunk stability push-up (P<0.01). In control group total FMS, deep squat, and trunk stability push-up scores increased with a statistical difference (P<0.01, P<0.05, P= 0.01, respectively). The incidence of noncontact injury in control group was higher than intervention group (P<0.05). Periodic movement screening and proper corrections with functional training is valuable in order to create better movement capacity to build better physical performance and more effective injury prevention.