The effect of proprioception exercises applied in football players' training warm-ups on selected motor parameters

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of proprioception exercises on static balance, vertical jump height and reaction time parameters of male soccer players during warm-up before training. In line with the aim of the study, physical and motoric tests were performed in Istanbul Gelisim University Research and Application Laboratory. Warm-up protocols were applied in Istanbul Gelisim University Sports Hall. The sample consisted of the research group (n=9) and the control group (n=8) with a total of 17 male soccer players participating voluntarily. The research and control groups were divided into groups by random assignment, the research model is an experimental model that investigates the cause and effect relationship and the pre-test - post-test design with control group, which is one of the true experimental designs, was applied. The research group was given proprioception exercises during warm-up and the control group continued with the traditional warm-up protocol. After the participants' body weight, height, body fat percentage, vertical jump, reaction time and static balance tests were performed, the experimental group performed proprioception exercises and the control group performed general warm-up. At the end of the application, vertical jump test, static balance test and reaction time test were performed again for the experimental and control groups. The data we accessed in the study were evaluated using the SPSS 25.0 package program. Shapiro-Wilk test was applied to determine the normality distribution of the data obtained in the study. Since the data were normally distributed, t-test in independent groups, one of the parametric tests, and t-test in dependent groups were applied for intra-group comparison. The significance level was accepted as p<0.05. As a result, there was a statistically significant difference in the static balance parameter of proprioception exercises in the pre and post test values between the groups. The experimental group showed statistically significant differences in some motor parameters in pre and post tests within the group.