The Effect of Core Stability Exercises on Functional Movement Screen Scores, balance, and performance in Elite Basketball Players

Background: A strong core is a crucial prerequisite for practicing in many sports.This study aimed to investigate the effect of core stability exercises on functional movement screen scores, balance, and performance in elite basketball players.Methods: Thirty-four adult male elite basketball players were divided into core exercise and control groups, with the core exercise group performing an eight-week core stability exercise protocol.Balance, movement pattern, and performance were evaluated using the Y-Balance Test, the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), the Single-Leg Hop Test, the Zigzag Triple-Hop Test, the Davies Test, and the Square Hop Test, respectively.Data were analyzed through descriptive analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) for parametric and Quade's test for non-parametric data.Results: The findings indicated a significant difference between the core exercise and control groups in total FMS score (P=0.001),single-leg hop test (P=0.001),zigzag triple hop test (P=0.001),dominant upper limb balance scores (P=0.001),non-dominant upper limb balance scores (P=0.001), the square hop test (P=0.001),and the Davies Closed Kinetic Chain test (P=0.001). Conclusion:The current study's results showed that after eight weeks of core stability exercises, elite basketball players experienced significant improvements in FMS scores, balance, and performance.These findings highlight the positive effect of core-focused exercises on enhancing movement efficiency and athletic performance, which may have important implications for reducing injury risk in elite athletes.