The effect of 8-week corrective exercise applications on FMS test scores in U-18 male soccer players

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of progressive corrective exercises applied for 8 weeks on FMS scores in male football players under the age of 18 with an FMS total score of 14 and below. 38 male football players between the ages of 15-17 playing football in the Turkish Regional League U-18 group participated in the study. A 'personal information and FMS test form' was prepared for the FMS data and demographic information of the football players. FMS test was applied to all athletes and the test scores were recorded at the beginning of the study. 14 athletes with a total FMS score of 14 and below, which is determined as an injury risk, formed the research group, and 14 athletes with a score of 15 and above constituted the control group. In addition to routine football training, a corrective exercise program was applied to the research group, 3 days a week, for a total of 8 weeks, under the supervision of the team trainer. In the 9th week, all athletes were given the FMS post-test. While the total FMS score increased in the second testing in the research group (p<0.05), no significant difference was observed in the control group (p>0.05). A significant increase was noted in the research group in in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push-up and rotary stability scores (p<0.05). Our results showed that it may be possible to increase FMS total scores with a corrective exercise program applied to U-18 male football players with a total FMS score of 14 and below, which is determined as a potential injury risk.