Clinical Research Directory

The Acute Effects of Core Stabilization Exercises on Balance and Upper Extremity Functional Performance in Archers

This randomized controlled study aims to investigate the acute effects of a single session of core stabilization exercises on balance and upper extremity functional performance in competitive archers. Core stability is essential for postural control, neuromuscular coordination, and efficient force transfer during archery shooting. Understanding the immediate effects of core stabilization exercises may support their use as an effective warm-up and performance-enhancing strategy in archery athletes.

The Effect of Neuroscience-Based Exercise Training on Shooting Performance and Neuromuscular Performance in Archers

Archery is a sport that demands sport-specific motor performance, emphasizing fine motor control, postural stability, balance, and concentration skills. Athletes aim to deliver the arrow to the target by ensuring maximum stability with minimal body movement during shooting. While muscle strength, upper extremity endurance, and overall body stability are among the primary factors influencing performance, many other parameters also determine shooting success. Studies investigating muscle activity in archery have demonstrated that the primary muscle groups involved in shooting are the scapular muscles, shoulder girdle muscles, and forearm muscles. These muscles are activated at varying levels to facilitate target focus and play an active role in shooting by contributing to postural and scapular stabilization. Additionally, core muscles enhance movement capacity by centrally stabilizing the body during motion. Activation of pelvic-region muscles, in particular, contributes to improved balance skills, thereby making a meaningful impact on performance. Archers are expected to maintain stability by minimizing movement during shooting and to rapidly adapt to postural instability that may arise during aiming. Every involuntary movement decreases stability and makes it harder to hit the center of the target. In this context, executing motor actions with high precision and developing adaptive responses to postural instability are of great importance. One of the core components of the balance system-the visual system-also significantly affects performance. During postural sway, visual stabilization plays a critical role; as the distance to the target increases, displacements on the retina become larger, making visual focusing more challenging. Moreover, to make the shooting decision at the right moment, it is essential to maintain visual concentration effectively. In this project, while no intervention will be applied to the control group, archers using classical bows in the exercise group will participate in a six-week neuroscience-based exercise program. The program includes scapular and core stabilization, balance training, gaze stabilization, and NeuroTracker training. This six-week program is designed to be progressive and holistic, and its effects will be investigated. Muscle activity will be analyzed through EMG, postural sway will be assessed using the ProKin TecnoBody 252 stabilometric platform, clinical upper extremity balance will be evaluated with the Y Balance Test, eye tracking will be measured using the Pupil headset (Pupil Labs), and spinal stabilization endurance will be assessed through the Biering-Sorensen Test, Lateral Bridge Test, and the Step Test. Shooting performance will be evaluated based on target paper scores. Statistical analyses will be performed using IBM SPSS version 28. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods will be utilized. Within the scope of descriptive statistics, participants' demographic characteristics and other key variables will be summarized using mean (X̄), standard deviation (SD), frequency (n), and percentage (%). The findings will be evaluated at a significance level of p\<0.05. The study will include a comprehensive analysis using objective measurement methods. In the literature, no previous study has approached neuroscience-based exercise interventions for archers in such a comprehensive and multidimensional manner. This project aims not only to enhance athletic performance but also to prevent shoulder, scapular, and upper extremity injuries that may result from repetitive shooting movements. This research will be one of the first comprehensive studies to address balance, muscle activity, and cognitive performance in archery holistically, offering an original and scientifically valuable contribution to the sports science literature.

Cognitive-Based Balance Exercises on the Shooting Performance of Archers

The aim of this treatment study is to determine the effects of cognitive-based balance exercises on archers' shooting performance. The study focuses on archers and examines the effects of cognitive-based dynamic and static balance exercises on shooting accuracy. In this context, the main questions that the study aims to answer are as follows: * Cognitive-based balance exercises applied to archers have no effect on shooting performance. * Cognitive-based balance exercises applied to archers have an effect on shooting performance. The researchers will evaluate the effects of the interventions on shooting performance by comparing the performance differences between archers who apply cognitive-based balance exercises and archers who only do balance exercises. Participants: * The control group will apply various balance exercises during the 12-week training period. The study group will apply cognitive-based balance exercises. * They will be subjected to performance tests that evaluate static balance, dynamic balance and shooting accuracy.

The Effects of Scapular Stabilization Exercises in Traditional Archery Athletes

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of an 8-week scapular stabilization exercise program on shooting accuracy and upper extremity performance in athletes engaged in traditional archery. Thirty licensed archers aged between 15 and 35, with at least 2 years of experience, will be randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive scapular stabilization exercises in addition to their regular training, while the control group will continue their usual training routine. Pre- and post-intervention evaluations will assess upper extremity strength, stability, proprioception, and shooting performance.