Evaluation of the relationship between core endurance levels, balance performance, muscle strength and flexibility in young elite sailors

This study was conducted to evaulate the relationship between core endurance levels,balance performance, muscle strenght and flexibility in young elite sailors aged between 8-20 ( 13.65 ± 2.56 years ). The athletes were randomly selected from the Galatasary sailing club and the athletes were divided into three groups according to their sailing class windsurfing, optimist and laser class respectively. A total of 26 boys and 14 girls from windsurfing (n=14), optimist (n=13) and laser (n=13) were participated in the study. Demographic features, body mass index, dominant side of the body of sailor's were recorded. For strength evaulation hand dynamometer were applied for the upper limb and vertical jump test, standing long jump test, single leg jump test were applied for the lower limb. For core endurance evaulation sit-up test, plank test and rotary stability tests were applied. For balance and flexibility evaulation Y balance test, straight leg raise test,shoulder flexibility test,sit and reach test, shoulder elevation test and total body rotatiton test were applied. When the three sailing classes were compared, a significant difference was found in the hand grip test results in terms of the mean values of both the right and left hands (p<0.001). The highest mean value was found in the laser group. According to the results of the standing long jump test, it was seen that there was a significant difference between the groups (p<0.05) and the highest mean value was also obtained in the laser group. There is a significant difference between the groups according to the results of the single leg jump test (p<0.05) and the highest average is in the windsurf group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of vertical jump, sit-up, plank, rotary stability, straight leg raise, shoulder flexibility, shoulder elevation, sit and reach and total body rotation test results (p>0.05). According to the Y balance test results, there is a significant difference between the groups on both the right (p<0.05) and left sides (p<0.05), while the highest average values are in the optimist group. These result confirm that especially in strength and balance parameters each sailing class requires different physical properties and spesific performance parameters. Key words: Sailing sport,performance evaulation, core endurance, muscle strength, balance, flexibility