Investigation of the effects of core exercises applied to 12-14 age group football players on bio-banding on selected motor parameters

With the development of technology, new training methods and new classification methods are being developed. One of these classifications is bio-banding. Bio-Banding is considered a method in which children are grouped according to their skeletal maturity rather than their calendar age. It is known that maturity level affects the optimum level of sports performance in children. In light of this information, the aim of the study was to examine the effect of core exercises applied to 12-14 age group football players according to bio-grouping on selected motor parameters. 90 male football players who were training within Niğde Anadolu Football Club participated in the study. By bio-grouping the football players, experimental and control groups named early pubertal (30 people in the experimental group), pubertal (30 people in the control group), and late pubertal (30 people in the control group) were created. In addition to routine football training, dynamic core exercises were applied to the experimental group 3 days a week for 8 weeks, while the control group continued their routine training. During the 8-week period of the study, measurements of vertical jump, agility and speed performance measurements were taken from the football players at the beginning and end of the study. The vertical jump performances of the football players were measured using the Smartspeed mat with a photocell connection, and their agility and speed performances were measured using the Smartspeed Photocell. SPSS 24 package program was used to analyze the data. Arithmetic means and standard deviations of the demographic variables of the football players were calculated. Paired t-test was used to compare pretest and posttest within groups of vertical jump, agility and speed performances, one-way ANOVA test was used to compare pretests and posttests between groups, and Tukey's test was used to determine the difference in favor. It was determined that there was a significant difference in intra-group comparisons according to the age variable and that the difference favored the post-tests. In the intragroup comparison, it was determined that the greatest improvement was observed in the experimental group. In comparisons between groups according to bio-banding, it was determined that there was a significant difference in the speed variable and that the difference was in favor of late puberty. As a result, it is thought that core exercises applied to groups determined by the bio-banding method have a positive effect on selected motor parameters and that core exercises applied to football players with different maturation levels within the same age will be useful in closing the gap in motor performance arising from maturation. While groupings are made in other branches, especially in football, it is thought that bio-banding in addition to the age variable will contribute to the athletes' ability to perform more easily by training with athletes close to their own maturity level.