A Study of the Lower Limb Stability of Taekwondo Athletes Through Pilates

Being a lower limb-oriented sport, Taekwondo emphasizes single leg stability through its movement patterns. This means that lower limb stability is vital for Taekwondo athletes. Pilates is a method of training which places an emphasis on core muscle stability, alongside mobility and coordination. Previously, Taekwondo athletes have focused on warm-ups which involve joint mobility, such as stretching and using foam rollers. This has led to a pattern of these athletes neglecting lower limb stability. As a result, this study will investigate the immediate effects of Pilates as a warm-up on the lower limb stability of Taekwondo athletes. PURPOSE: To determine the immediate effects of Pilates training as a warm-up on lower limb stability for Taekwondo athletes. METHODS: 11 Taekwondo athletes from Fu Jen Catholic University participated in this study, with the following average age: 19.6 ± 0.8 years old; the following average height: 167.3 ± 10.6 cm; and the following average weight: 66.2 ± 11.4 kg. Subjects participated in a 20-minute Pilates training session, which was preceded and followed by conducting a force plate test (Zebris FDM-S, Zebris Medical GmbH, Germany) on the right and left side to measure the 95% confidence ellipse area, center of pressure (COP) path length, and COP average velocity measurements. RESULTS: Comparison of pre- and post-test COP path length (right: 222.6 to 192.3; left: 219.0 to 189.9,p < 0.05) and COP average velocity (right: 21.6 to 18.6; left: 20.9 to 18.5,p < 0.05)demonstrates a significant decline. Additionally, measuring the 95% confidence ellipse area (right: 326.5 to 324.9;left: 345.5 to 310.6, p > 0.05) shows no significant decline. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was no significant difference in the area of the COP after Pilates training, the COP trajectory and speed declined significantly, demonstrating increased neuromuscular control over the lower limbs. Therefore,20-minute Pilates training sessions can be used as a warm-up program to improve neuromuscular control over the lower limbs prior to Taekwondo-specific training. In the future, it would be interesting to discover whether long-term Pilates training can effectively improve lower limb stability for Taekwondo athletes.