Impact of Functional Motor Training on Agility in Recreational Athletes

Impact of Functional Motor Training on Agility in Recreational Athletes | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Impact of Functional Motor Training on Agility in Recreational Athletes Suhail Karim, Muhammad Fahad Khan Physiotherapist, Mehwish Khan, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6213846/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background: Functional motor training, which emphasizes movement patterns that mimic real-life activities and sport-specific demands, has gained significant attention in recent years as a potential method to enhance agility. Hence the purpose of this study is to identify the impact of functional motor training on agility and functional motor screening score. Methodology: This research is a quasi-experimental single-blinded study conducted from January 2024 to October 2024 on 30 recreational athletes attending gym for at least twice a week. The study was approved from institutional review board of ____________. Athletes who lie in the age between 20–40 years, were included via convenience sampling technique. Participants performed FMT for 2–3 times a week each session lasting 30 minutes supervised by researcher and a fitness trainer. Functional Movement Screen (FMS) score and agility was assessed pre-post 8 weeks of intervention. Results Both in male and female population the training improved the Functional Movement Screen score from 10.12 ± 1.23 to 16.33 ± 2.14, p < 0.001 and agility from 17.90 ± 2.35 to 16.36 ± 1.34, p < 0.001. Conclusion Functional motor training program implemented in recreational athletes significantly improved both the FMS score and Illinois agility test. Moreover, it was determined that agility was linked with age of the participants since older age participants were found to perform relatively weaker compared to the younger counterparts. Functional Training Endurance Exercises Motor Athletes Functional Movement Agility Asymmetrical Intervention Introduction Agility is a critical component of athletic performance, encompassing the ability to change direction, accelerate, and decelerate rapidly while maintaining control and balance 1 . For recreational athletes, agility is not only essential for improving performance in various sports but also for reducing the risk of injuries 2 . Functional motor training (FMT), which emphasizes movement patterns that mimic real-life activities and sport-specific demands, has gained significant attention in recent years as a potential method to enhance agility 3 . Functional motor training is rooted in the principle of training the body to perform movements that are integral to daily life or specific sports. Unlike traditional strength training, which isolates individual muscles and joint actions, functional training emphasizes integrated, multi-joint movements that enhance balance, coordination, and proprioception 4 . Functional motor training effectively helps recreational athletes, whose movements are usually irregular and unmastered by tone functions, to improve their physical performance. This type of training is based on different exercises including lunges, what you do in a squat, jumping exercises, and rotational movements, and ultimately improves your overall motor competence which can be linked to agility. Agility is a complex skill that depends on multiple physiological and neurological factors that is muscular strength, power, coordination, reaction time, cognitive processing 5 . These components are met by functional motor training involving complex, multi-planar movements with an emphasis on challenging both the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Since exercises such as lateral bounds or cone drills rotate from side to side, the athlete's ability to change directions rapidly is reversed with the integration of speed to create force to prevent injury. Functional training often include people on unstable surfaces or adds the use of resistance tools such as resistance bands and medicine balls to increase the neuromuscular adaptation and proprioceptive awareness 6 . Therefore, functional motor training is relevant to recreational athletes for its adaptability and accessibility. Recreational athletes can be considered very heterogeneous with respect to their fitness levels, goals, and time restraints. Thus, practical training methods must adapt to be time-efficient and scalable. Functional motor training can be tailored toward the individual, whether for improved performance in a given sport, overall fitness needs, or injury prevention. The other effects of FMT on agility may go through the central or peripheral nervous system 7 . Agility requires quick decision-making and the execution of movements controlled by the ability of information to be processed by the brain, followed by an appropriate signal to be sent to the muscles. This process is enhanced by functional training, wherein the nervous system is provoked to adapt to various complex stimuli. For example, exercises with quick changes in direction or with unexpected perturbations force the brain to react better and more accurately with movement. Soon thereafter, improved agility sets in, as the athlete becomes more fluent in responding to a dynamic environment. Besides physiological benefits of functional motor training, it has psychological advantages for improving agility at an individual level 8 – 9 . Mental barriers stop many recreational athletes from maximizing their potential, for example, fear of injury and low confidence, and functional training would heighten these athletes' belief in their movement to handle complex movements by knowing they have strengthened their bodies, thus raising their performance in more activities because they are more willing to risk themselves under their limits 10 . Hence the purpose of this study is to identify the impact of functional motor training on agility and functional motor screening score. Methodology This research is a quasi-experimental study conducted from January 2024 to October 2024 on recreational athletes attending gym for at least twice a week. The study was approved from institutional review board of ____________. Sample size determination was performed using an open EPI-calculator using data from a previous study 11 which provided a sample size of 30 with 95% confidence interval, 80% power of test and p-value threshold > 0.05 considered significant. The age group of 20–40 years included all those participating athletes having sports as their leisure, health, fitness activity and were not in any professional or competitive teams. These people also attend a gym or fitness center at least twice in a week so that they can meet up minimum criteria of participation as physical activity. Participants with any form of acute or chronic lower or upper limb injury at the time of participation were excluded from trial. Training Protocol The functional motor training protocol for recreational athletes is aimed to develop agility, coordination, and moving efficiency while preventing injuries. The training was performed for 8-week on non-consecutive days with 2 to 3 days/ week for the proper spacing for recovery days in-between sessions. Each session opened with 10 minutes of dynamic warm-ups that consists of exercises like high knees, butt kicks, lateral shuffles, and arm circles done quite freely to primate the body in reproducing movement and facilitating blood circulation. The actual training phase constitutes multi-joint sports-specific movements that challenge balance, strength, and proprioception. Exercises consist of bodyweight squats, lunges with rotation, bounds from side to side, deadlifts in one leg, and agility ladder drills done in 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions 12 – 13 . Additional tools to increase neuromuscular adaptation include keeping two typically unstable surfaces like balance pads or resistance tools like resistance bands and medicine balls. For example, squats on a balance pad or rotational throws with a medicine ball are performed by athletes. This program also included plyometric exercises such as box jumps and cone hops that aim to enhance explosive power and reaction timing. Afterwards, a cool-down of 10 minutes that has static stretching and foam rolling to enhance flexibility and recovery was performed. Agility and functional motor screening was assessed after 8 weeks of intervention. Data Analysis Statistical program SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Demographic data were analyzed using frequency and percentage data. The inferential statistics was done using a paired t test at an interval of 95% confidence (CI) in the parametric findings. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Ethical Consideration Ethical consideration was accorded to the Helsinki declaration of Human subject whereby all the rights to inclusion in this study or to come out of it at any time were given to the participants. The parameters of beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice were ensured all through the different levels of conduct of this study. Results The analyses of the findings had revealed that majority of the participants were male n = 20 that comprised of 66.66% of the participants and n = 10 was female that makes 33.33% of the population. The average age of the participants were 35.37 ± 2.34 years and gender wise age distribution reveled that in the age group of 20-25years n = 5 were male and n = 2 were female, in the age group of 26–30 years n = 6 were male and n = 3 were female, within the age group 31–35 n = 6 were male and n = 3 were female and finally in the age group of 36–40 years n = 3 were male and n = 2 were female. Detail description was shown in Table 1 : Table 1 Demographic Description of Participants Variables Mean Standard Deviation Age in years 35.37 2.34 Gender wise distribution Gender Frequency Percentage Male 20 66.66% Female 10 33.33% Age Range and Gender distribution Age Range Male Female 20–25 years 5 (16.66%) 2 (6.66%) 26–30 years 6 (20%) 3 (10%) 31–35 years 6 (20%) 3 (10%) 36–40 years 3 (10%) 2 (6.66%) The effects of interventional strategies were determined on agility of the participants using a paired t-test and the findings revealed a significant improvement (p < 0.005) in the agility as estimated using a Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Illinois agility test. The mean values at baseline of the participants for FMS were 10.12 ± 1.23 that was improved to 16.33 ± 2.14 whereas the value of Illinois agility test at baseline was 17.90 ± 2.35seconds that reduces to 16.36 ± 1.34seconds (Table 2 ) Table 2 Agility test at baseline and after intervention (within the group comparison) Variables Mean values ± Sd (Baseline) Mean values ± Sd (Post) t-test t-crit p-value FMS 10.12 ± 1.23 16.33 ± 2.14 2.34 1.09 < 0.001 Illinois Agility Test 17.90 ± 2.35 16.36 ± 1.34 1.36 < 0.001 In addition to that an association between different age group and Illinois agility test was performed and the findings had revealed a significant relation between young age and Illinois agility test with participants in lower age range had higher agility (p < 0.01) than participants in higher age group (Table 3 ) Table 3 Association between agility and age Variables Age distribution in years 20–25 years 26–30 years 31–35 years 36–40 years Illinois agility test (second) 15.54(p < 0.01) 16.68(p < 0.01) 17.07(p = 0.04) 17.12(p = 0.23) Discussion The data analysis proves that functional motor training was effective in increasing FMS value when comparing pre-and post-test values. Also, after the completion of training for 8 weeks, it was seen to be effective in improving the agility of recreational athletes. The data showed that training improved agility from 17.90 ± 2.35 seconds to 16.36 ± 1.34 (p = 0.001) and FMS performance from 10.12 ± 1.23 to 16.33 ± 2.14 in both males and females. In addition, there was a correlation fund between age and agility. Data show that both male and female populations show an increase in agility testing value with age (p ≤ 0.05). The results of the current study were in accordance with the findings of a systematic review conducted in 2021 14 , in which a review of nine studies produced evidence that functional training provides benefits for athletes in terms of speed, muscular strength, power, balance, and agility, whereas evidence concerning flexibility and muscular endurance is only moderate. It has been concluded that FT could improve overall physical condition in athletes. Therefore, this study suggests that FT can be a good physical fitness intervention for athletes. In another study 15 the impact of FT programme for athletes on the athleticism and functional mobility of football players was determined. Thirty-nine young football players from Istanbul Kayaşehir Sports Club participated in the study, all with an initial FMS score of 16. Over eight weeks, they underwent football training five days a week across three groups. The traditional training group (TTG) engaged in conventional training combined with football exercises, whereas the FTG followed the FT model. Post-intervention analysis revealed significant improvements in total FMS scores, speed, agility, and both right and left dynamic balance. The young players expressed a preference for the FT model, citing its superior impact on athletic performance compared to the traditional approach. These findings align with the present study's results, highlighting the positive influence of FT on bio-motor abilities. Similarly, Yildiz et al. (2019) 16 examined three different training protocols' effects on FMS and agility among young tennis players over an eight-week period. Their study, involving 28 participants with a dominant side lateralization score of at least 80% and an FMS score below 75% (average age: 9.6 ± 2.3 years, height: 134.1 ± 6.8 cm, weight: 23.2 ± 2.1 kg, and fitness age: 3.1 ± 1.1), assessed flexibility, vertical jump, acceleration, agility, and balance at baseline, week 4, and week 8. The control group (CG) showed a significant decrease in FMS scores (p ≤ 0.01), while no significant changes were observed in other metrics (p ≥ 0.05). Conversely, TTG demonstrated notable improvements in dynamic left balance (p ≤ 0.05), dynamic right balance (p ≤ 0.01), and overall FMS scores. However, the study faced several limitations. It predominantly included a homogenous group, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other populations. Additionally, the sample size was relatively small, potentially affecting the effect size. Since the research adopted a quasi-experimental design, direct comparisons between traditional training and functional training protocols were not made. Furthermore, the study was restricted to recreational athletes, leaving the potential impact on national-level athletes unexplored. Conclusion Based on findings from the study, the 8-week FT program implemented in recreational athletes significantly improved both the FMS score and Illinois agility test with a p-value less than 0.05. Moreover, it was determined that agility was linked with age of the participants since older age participants were found to perform relatively weaker compared to the younger counterparts. Declarations Author Contribution SK , & AHB responsible for overall project design , and manuscript writeup and responsible for it.MF , MK , MR responsible for statistical Analysis TA & MA responsible for review and update References Dos’Santos T, Jones P. Training for change of direction and agility. InAdvanced strength and conditioning 2022 Feb 14 (pp. 328–362). Routledge. Wang Z, Cai Y, Wu J, Xie S, Jiao W. Relationship between lower extremity fitness levels and injury risk among recreational alpine skiers: a prospective cohort study. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2022;19(16):10430. Arabameri E. The Evolution of Motor Behavior: Lessons from Past Research and Future Prospects. Health. 2024;2(4):134–51. Sorgente V, Cohen EJ, Bravi R, Minciacchi D. Crosstalk between gross and fine motor domains during late childhood: The influence of gross motor training on fine motor performances in primary school children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021;18(21):11387. Menezes GB, Oliveira RS, Ferreira AB, Assis TV, Batista ES, Oliver JL, Lloyd RS, Mortatti AL. Does motor coordination influence perceptual-cognitive and physical factors of agility in young soccer players in a sport-specific agility task?. Sports Biomechanics. 2024;23(11):2108–21. Rizzato A. EXERCISE PROTOCOLS WITH UNSTABLE DEVICES TO ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY OF NEUROMUSCULAR MECHANISMS IN POSTURAL CONTROL. Lucia S, Bianco V, Boccacci L, Di Russo F. Effects of a cognitive-motor training on anticipatory brain functions and sport performance in semi-elite basketball players. Brain Sciences. 2021;12(1):68. Haibach-Beach PS, Perreault M, Brian A, Collier DH. Motor learning and development. Human kinetics; 2023. Yang S, Wang J, Zhang N, Deng B, Pang Y, Azghadi MR. CerebelluMorphic: large-scale neuromorphic model and architecture for supervised motor learning. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems. 2021;33(9):4398–412. Ioannou D. An exploration of the interaction between mental toughness, help-seeking self-stigma, and attitude towards seeking professional psychological help, in the population of recreational athletes (Doctoral dissertation). Baron J, Bieniec A, Swinarew AS, Gabryś T, Stanula A. Effect of 12-week functional training intervention on the speed of young footballers. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020;17(1):160. Boyle M. New functional training for sports. Human Kinetics; 2016 May 18. Yildiz S, Pinar S, Gelen E. Effects of 8-week functional vs. traditional training on athletic performance and functional movement on prepubertal tennis players. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2019;33(3):651–61. Xiao W, Soh KG, Wazir MR, Talib O, Bai X, Bu T, Sun H, Popovic S, Masanovic B, Gardasevic J. Effect of functional training on physical fitness among athletes: a systematic review. Frontiers in physiology. 2021;12:738878. Boztepe A. Genç futbolcularda fonksiyonel antrenmanın atletik performansa etkisinin değerlendirilmesi (Doctoral dissertation, Yüksek Lisans Tezi, Marmara Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Anabilim Dalı, İstanbul). Yildiz S, Pinar S, Gelen E. Effects of 8-week functional vs. traditional training on athletic performance and functional movement on prepubertal tennis players. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2019;33(3):651–61. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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For recreational athletes, agility is not only essential for improving performance in various sports but also for reducing the risk of injuries\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Functional motor training (FMT), which emphasizes movement patterns that mimic real-life activities and sport-specific demands, has gained significant attention in recent years as a potential method to enhance agility\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Functional motor training is rooted in the principle of training the body to perform movements that are integral to daily life or specific sports. Unlike traditional strength training, which isolates individual\u0026ensp;muscles and joint actions, functional training emphasizes integrated, multi-joint movements that enhance balance, coordination, and proprioception\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Functional motor training effectively\u0026ensp;helps recreational athletes, whose movements are usually irregular and unmastered by tone functions, to improve their physical performance. This type of training is based on different exercises including lunges, what you do in a squat, jumping\u0026ensp;exercises, and rotational movements, and ultimately improves your overall motor competence which can be linked to agility.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAgility\u0026ensp;is a complex skill that depends on multiple physiological and neurological factors that is muscular strength, power,\u0026ensp;coordination, reaction time, cognitive processing\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. These components are met by functional motor\u0026ensp;training involving complex, multi-planar movements with an emphasis on challenging both the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Since exercises such as lateral bounds or cone drills rotate from side to side, the athlete's ability to change directions rapidly is reversed with the integration\u0026ensp;of speed to create force to prevent injury. Functional training often include people on unstable surfaces or adds the use of resistance tools such as resistance bands and medicine balls to increase the neuromuscular adaptation and proprioceptive awareness\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Therefore, functional motor training is relevant to recreational athletes for its adaptability and accessibility. Recreational athletes can be considered very heterogeneous with respect to their fitness levels, goals, and time restraints. Thus, practical training methods must adapt to be time-efficient and scalable. Functional motor training can be tailored toward the individual, whether for improved performance in a given sport, overall fitness needs, or injury prevention.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe other effects of FMT on agility may go through the central or peripheral nervous system\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Agility requires quick decision-making and the execution of movements controlled by the ability of information to be processed by the brain, followed by an appropriate signal to be sent to the muscles. This process is enhanced by functional training, wherein the nervous system is provoked to adapt to various complex stimuli. For example, exercises with quick changes in direction or with unexpected perturbations force the brain to react better and more accurately with movement. Soon thereafter, improved agility sets in, as the athlete becomes more fluent in responding to a dynamic environment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBesides physiological benefits of functional motor training, it has psychological advantages for improving agility at an individual level\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Mental barriers stop many recreational athletes from maximizing their potential, for example, fear of injury and low confidence, and functional training would heighten these athletes' belief in their movement to handle complex movements by knowing they have strengthened their bodies, thus raising their performance in more activities because they are more willing to risk themselves under their limits\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Hence the purpose of this study is to identify the impact of functional motor training on agility and functional motor screening score.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis research is a quasi-experimental study conducted from January 2024 to October 2024 on recreational athletes attending gym for at least twice a week. The study was approved from institutional review board of ____________. Sample size determination was performed using an open EPI-calculator using data from a previous study\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e which provided a sample size of 30 with 95% confidence interval, 80% power of test and p-value threshold\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 considered significant. The age group of 20\u0026ndash;40 years included all those participating athletes having sports as their leisure, health, fitness activity and were not in any professional or competitive teams. These people also attend a gym or fitness center at least twice in a week so that they can meet up minimum criteria of participation as physical activity. Participants with any form of acute or chronic lower or upper limb injury at the time of participation were excluded from trial.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTraining Protocol\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe functional motor training protocol for recreational athletes is aimed to develop agility, coordination, and moving efficiency while preventing injuries. The training was performed for 8-week on non-consecutive days with 2 to 3 days/ week for the proper spacing for recovery days in-between sessions. Each session opened with 10 minutes of dynamic warm-ups that consists of exercises like high knees, butt kicks, lateral shuffles, and arm circles done quite freely to primate the body in reproducing movement and facilitating blood circulation. The actual training phase constitutes multi-joint sports-specific movements that challenge balance, strength, and proprioception. Exercises consist of bodyweight squats, lunges with rotation, bounds from side to side, deadlifts in one leg, and agility ladder drills done in 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Additional tools to increase neuromuscular adaptation include keeping two typically unstable surfaces like balance pads or resistance tools like resistance bands and medicine balls. For example, squats on a balance pad or rotational throws with a medicine ball are performed by athletes. This program also included plyometric exercises such as box jumps and cone hops that aim to enhance explosive power and reaction timing. Afterwards, a cool-down of 10 minutes that has static stretching and foam rolling to enhance flexibility and recovery was performed. Agility and functional motor screening was assessed after 8 weeks of intervention.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical program SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Demographic data were analyzed using frequency and percentage data. The inferential statistics was done using a paired t test at an interval of 95% confidence (CI) in the parametric findings. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEthical Consideration\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical consideration was accorded to the Helsinki declaration of Human subject whereby all the rights to inclusion in this study or to come out of it at any time were given to the participants. The parameters of beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice were ensured all through the different levels of conduct of this study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe analyses of the findings had revealed that majority of the participants were male n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;20 that comprised of 66.66% of the participants and n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10 was female that makes 33.33% of the population. The average age of the participants were 35.37\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.34 years and gender wise age distribution reveled that in the age group of 20-25years n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5 were male and n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2 were female, in the age group of 26\u0026ndash;30 years n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6 were male and n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3 were female, within the age group 31\u0026ndash;35 n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6 were male and n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3 were female and finally in the age group of 36\u0026ndash;40 years n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3 were male and n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2 were female. Detail description was shown in Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographic Description of Participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStandard Deviation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge in years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGender wise distribution\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGender\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrequency\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePercentage\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMale\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66.66%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFemale\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.33%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge Range and Gender distribution\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge Range\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMale\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFemale\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e20\u0026ndash;25 years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (16.66%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (6.66%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e26\u0026ndash;30 years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (20%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (10%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e31\u0026ndash;35 years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (20%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (10%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e36\u0026ndash;40 years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (10%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (6.66%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe effects of interventional strategies were determined on agility of the participants using a paired t-test and the findings revealed a significant improvement (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.005) in the agility as estimated using a Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Illinois agility test. The mean values at baseline of the participants for FMS were 10.12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.23 that was improved to 16.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.14 whereas the value of Illinois agility test at baseline was 17.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.35seconds that reduces to 16.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.34seconds (Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAgility test at baseline and after intervention (within the group comparison)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean values\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;Sd\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Baseline)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean values\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;Sd\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Post)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et-test\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et-crit\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFMS\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIllinois Agility Test\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition to that an association between different age group and Illinois agility test was performed and the findings had revealed a significant relation between young age and Illinois agility test with participants in lower age range had higher agility (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) than participants in higher age group (Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssociation between agility and age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge distribution in years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e20\u0026ndash;25 years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e26\u0026ndash;30 years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e31\u0026ndash;35 years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e36\u0026ndash;40 years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIllinois agility test (second)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.54(p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.68(p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.07(p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.12(p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.23)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe data analysis proves that functional motor training was effective in increasing FMS value when comparing pre-and post-test values. Also, after the completion of training for 8 weeks, it was seen to be effective in improving the agility of recreational athletes. The data showed that training improved agility from 17.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.35 seconds to 16.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.34 (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.001) and FMS performance from 10.12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.23 to 16.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.14 in both males and females.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition, there was a correlation fund between age and agility. Data show that both male and female populations show an increase in agility testing value with age (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05). The results of the current study were in accordance with the findings of a systematic review conducted in 2021\u003csup\u003e14\u003c/sup\u003e, in which a review of nine studies produced evidence that functional training provides benefits for athletes in terms of speed, muscular strength, power, balance, and agility, whereas evidence concerning flexibility and muscular endurance is only moderate. It has been concluded that FT could improve overall physical condition in athletes. Therefore, this study suggests that FT can be a good physical fitness intervention for athletes. In another study\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e the impact of FT programme for athletes on the athleticism and functional mobility of football players was determined. Thirty-nine young football players from Istanbul Kayaşehir Sports Club participated in the study, all with an initial FMS score of 16. Over eight weeks, they underwent football training five days a week across three groups. The traditional training group (TTG) engaged in conventional training combined with football exercises, whereas the FTG followed the FT model. Post-intervention analysis revealed significant improvements in total FMS scores, speed, agility, and both right and left dynamic balance. The young players expressed a preference for the FT model, citing its superior impact on athletic performance compared to the traditional approach. These findings align with the present study's results, highlighting the positive influence of FT on bio-motor abilities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilarly, Yildiz et al. (2019)\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e examined three different training protocols' effects on FMS and agility among young tennis players over an eight-week period. Their study, involving 28 participants with a dominant side lateralization score of at least 80% and an FMS score below 75% (average age: 9.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.3 years, height: 134.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.8 cm, weight: 23.2\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.1 kg, and fitness age: 3.1\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.1), assessed flexibility, vertical jump, acceleration, agility, and balance at baseline, week 4, and week 8. The control group (CG) showed a significant decrease in FMS scores (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.01), while no significant changes were observed in other metrics (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Conversely, TTG demonstrated notable improvements in dynamic left balance (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05), dynamic right balance (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.01), and overall FMS scores.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, the study faced several limitations. It predominantly included a homogenous group, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other populations. Additionally, the sample size was relatively small, potentially affecting the effect size. Since the research adopted a quasi-experimental design, direct comparisons between traditional training and functional training protocols were not made. Furthermore, the study was restricted to recreational athletes, leaving the potential impact on national-level athletes unexplored.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eBased on findings from the study, the 8-week FT program implemented in recreational athletes significantly improved both the FMS score and Illinois agility test with a p-value less than 0.05. Moreover, it was determined that agility was linked with age of the participants since older age participants were found to perform relatively weaker compared to the younger counterparts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSK , \u0026amp; AHB responsible for overall project design , and manuscript writeup and responsible for it.MF , MK , MR responsible for statistical Analysis TA \u0026amp; MA responsible for review and update\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDos\u0026rsquo;Santos T, Jones P. Training for change of direction and agility. InAdvanced strength and conditioning 2022 Feb 14 (pp. 328\u0026ndash;362). Routledge.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWang Z, Cai Y, Wu J, Xie S, Jiao W. Relationship between lower extremity fitness levels and injury risk among recreational alpine skiers: a prospective cohort study. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2022;19(16):10430.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArabameri E. The Evolution of Motor Behavior: Lessons from Past Research and Future Prospects. Health. 2024;2(4):134\u0026ndash;51.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSorgente V, Cohen EJ, Bravi R, Minciacchi D. Crosstalk between gross and fine motor domains during late childhood: The influence of gross motor training on fine motor performances in primary school children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021;18(21):11387.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMenezes GB, Oliveira RS, Ferreira AB, Assis TV, Batista ES, Oliver JL, Lloyd RS, Mortatti AL. Does motor coordination influence perceptual-cognitive and physical factors of agility in young soccer players in a sport-specific agility task?. Sports Biomechanics. 2024;23(11):2108\u0026ndash;21.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRizzato A. EXERCISE PROTOCOLS WITH UNSTABLE DEVICES TO ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY OF NEUROMUSCULAR MECHANISMS IN POSTURAL CONTROL.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLucia S, Bianco V, Boccacci L, Di Russo F. Effects of a cognitive-motor training on anticipatory brain functions and sport performance in semi-elite basketball players. Brain Sciences. 2021;12(1):68.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHaibach-Beach PS, Perreault M, Brian A, Collier DH. Motor learning and development. Human kinetics; 2023.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYang S, Wang J, Zhang N, Deng B, Pang Y, Azghadi MR. CerebelluMorphic: large-scale neuromorphic model and architecture for supervised motor learning. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems. 2021;33(9):4398\u0026ndash;412.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIoannou D. \u003cem\u003eAn exploration of the interaction between mental toughness, help-seeking self-stigma, and attitude towards seeking professional psychological help, in the population of recreational athletes\u003c/em\u003e (Doctoral dissertation).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaron J, Bieniec A, Swinarew AS, Gabryś T, Stanula A. Effect of 12-week functional training intervention on the speed of young footballers. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020;17(1):160.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBoyle M. New functional training for sports. Human Kinetics; 2016 May 18.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYildiz S, Pinar S, Gelen E. Effects of 8-week functional vs. traditional training on athletic performance and functional movement on prepubertal tennis players. The Journal of Strength \u0026amp; Conditioning Research. 2019;33(3):651\u0026ndash;61.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXiao W, Soh KG, Wazir MR, Talib O, Bai X, Bu T, Sun H, Popovic S, Masanovic B, Gardasevic J. Effect of functional training on physical fitness among athletes: a systematic review. Frontiers in physiology. 2021;12:738878.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBoztepe A. Gen\u0026ccedil; futbolcularda fonksiyonel antrenmanın atletik performansa etkisinin değerlendirilmesi (Doctoral dissertation, Y\u0026uuml;ksek Lisans Tezi, Marmara \u0026Uuml;niversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Enstit\u0026uuml;s\u0026uuml;, Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Anabilim Dalı, İstanbul).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYildiz S, Pinar S, Gelen E. Effects of 8-week functional vs. traditional training on athletic performance and functional movement on prepubertal tennis players. The Journal of Strength \u0026amp; Conditioning Research. 2019;33(3):651\u0026ndash;61.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Functional Training, Endurance, Exercises, Motor, Athletes, Functional Movement, Agility, Asymmetrical, Intervention","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6213846/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6213846/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFunctional motor training, which emphasizes movement patterns that mimic real-life activities and sport-specific demands, has gained significant attention in recent years as a potential method to enhance agility. Hence the purpose of this study is to identify the impact of functional motor training on agility and functional motor screening score.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethodology:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis research is a quasi-experimental single-blinded study conducted from January 2024 to October 2024 on 30 recreational athletes attending gym for at least twice a week. The study was approved from institutional review board of ____________. Athletes who lie in the age between 20\u0026ndash;40 years, were included via convenience sampling technique. Participants performed FMT for 2\u0026ndash;3 times a week each session lasting 30 minutes supervised by researcher and a fitness trainer. Functional Movement Screen (FMS) score and agility was assessed pre-post 8 weeks of intervention.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBoth in male and female population the training improved the Functional Movement Screen score from 10.12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.23 to 16.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.14, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001 and agility from 17.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.35 to 16.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.34, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFunctional motor training program implemented in recreational athletes significantly improved both the FMS score and Illinois agility test. Moreover, it was determined that agility was linked with age of the participants since older age participants were found to perform relatively weaker compared to the younger counterparts.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Impact of Functional Motor Training on Agility in Recreational Athletes","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-03-17 08:04:49","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6213846/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c48faacf-ef7c-40f8-848b-11be79691a84","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 17th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-04-06T21:38:24+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-03-17 08:04:49","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6213846","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6213846","identity":"rs-6213846","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}