Relationship Between Stabilization, Balance, Athletic Performance and Functional Movement

• Main Author: Ashdown, Susan Christine
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2013
• Subjects: musculoskeletal fitness; exercise technique; power; agility; Exercise Science
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3695; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4694&context=etd

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the functional movement screen (FMS) and a battery of stabilization, balance, and athletic performance assessments, including time to stabilization (TTS), Davies test (DT), Y-Balance test (YBT), and maximum vertical jump (VJ). Sixty-one healthy individuals (32 males, 29 females; age: 22.4 ± 2.7 yr; height: 174.4 ± 10.4 cm, body mass: 74.0 ± 18.8 kg), successfully performed the FMS and the accompanying comparison tests. Correlations were generated between the FMS and TTS, DT, YBT, and VJ (including both unilateral and bilateral assessments) using the R Project for Statistical Computing, with statistical significance set at p < .001 to minimize alpha inflation. Weak correlations were generated between participants' total FMS score (summed from the 7 FMS assessments) and the TTS-left side (r = -.43; p < 0.001), TTS-right side (r = -.35; p<0.006), DT (r = .54; p < 0.0001), and VJ (r = .33; p = 0.101). Moderately strong correlations were generated between total FMS scores and the YBT-left side (r = .69; p < 0.0001) and YBT-right side (r = .70; p < 0.0001). Similar weak significant correlations were generated when comparing the scores of each individual FMS screen with the TTS, DT, YBT, and VJ. Of these, the highest correlations were between the in-line lunge-left side and the YBT-left side (r = .72; p ≤ 0. 001); the in-line lunge-left side and YBT-right side (r = .75; p ≤ 0.001); the trunk stability push-up and VJ (r = .60; p < 0.0001); and the active straight leg raise-left side and TTS-left side (r = -.46; p < 0.0001). In summary, mostly weak correlations were found between the FMS (involving total or individual scores) and the comparison assessments employed in this study. More rigorous investigations are now warranted to determine the causality of these relationships and how the FMS might be applied to activity of daily living, athletic performance, and injury prevention.