Effects of Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue on Balance Performance in Female Athletes

Summary

Taekwondo is a high-intensity combat sport characterized by repeated explosive kicking actions and rapid changes in body position, requiring well-developed postural control to maintain technical performance and reduce injury risk. Although fatigue has been reported to impair balance performance, previous studies have primarily induced fatigue using non-specific laboratory protocols that do not adequately reflect the physiological and neuromuscular demands of taekwondo competition. Consequently, the effects of taekwondo-specific fatigue on static and dynamic balance performance remain insufficiently understood. The primary objective of this study will be to investigate the effects of a taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol on static and dynamic balance performance in female taekwondo athletes. Eighteen competitive female taekwondo athletes will participate in this single-group repeated-measures study. Following a familiarization session, participants will complete a standardized taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol consisting of three 2-minute rounds separated by 1-minute passive recovery periods, replicating the official Olympic competition format. Static and dynamic balance performance will be assessed before and immediately after the fatigue protocol using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Balance performance will be evaluated under static and dynamic testing conditions, and the Overall Stability Index, Anteroposterior Stability Index, and Mediolateral Stability Index will be recorded. The findings of this study are expected to improve understanding of the acute effects of sport-specific fatigue on postural control in female taekwondo athletes and may contribute to the development of evidence-based training and injury prevention strategies.

Conditions

• Taekwondo Match-simulated Fatigue
• Static Balance
• Dinamic Balance
• Female Athletes
• Postural Balance
• Fatigue

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Taekwondo Match-Simulated Fatigue Protocol

Participants will perform a standardized taekwondo match-simulated fatigue protocol designed to reproduce the physiological and neuromuscular demands of an official taekwondo match. Static and dynamic balance performance will be evaluated immediately before and after completion of the protocol.

BEHAVIORAL

Static balance test

Static balance performance will be assessed using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Mean Overall Stability Index (OSI) score, mean Anteroposterior Stability Index (APSI) score, and mean Mediolateral Stability Index (MLSI) score will be calculated automatically by the system. The static balance condition will be combined with an eyes-closed stance with the platform locked at a static level (a fixed support); this condition will designed to reflect support-fixed, vision-deprived postural control, where the participant must maintain postural stability without visual cues on a stable surface.

BEHAVIORAL

Dynamic balance test

Dynamic balance performance will be assessed using the Biodex Balance System (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA). Mean Overall Stability Index (OSI) score, mean Anteroposterior Stability Index (APSI) score, and mean Mediolateral Stability Index (MLSI) score will be calculated automatically by the system. The dynamic balance condition combines an eyes-open stance with the platform stability set to level 5 (an unstable platform that requires active postural adjustments). This condition will be designed to reflect visually guided, mechanically unstable postural control, where the participant must rely on real-time visual feedback to compensate for continuous platform tilt.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Berkay Löklüoğlu

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

20 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-08-31

Primary Completion

2026-09-30

Completion

2026-11-30

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations