BILATERAL DIFFERENCES OF UPPER EXTREMITY FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENT KICKBOXING ATHLETES

Authors : Gamze Çobanoğlu, Ebrar Rana Bardakçı, Aleyna Gökdeniz, Nevin Atalay Güzel

Pages : 45-53

Doi:10.33689/spormetre.1654091

View : 197 | Download : 279

Publication Date : 2025-12-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :It is important to measure the functional asymmetry between the extremities to determine if athletes are at risk of injury or performance deficits. This study aimed to investigate bilateral differences in upper extremity performance of adolescent kickboxing athletes. The study included 32 adolescent kickboxing athletes (13 females, 19 males; age: 16.72 ± 0.95 years; body mass index: 22.07 ± 2.66 kg/m²). Functional dominance was determined based on the leading hand, which was accepted as the non-dominant extremity. The Seated Single Arm Shot Put Test (SSASPT) and Upper Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-UQ) evaluated upper extremity performance. When the dominant and non-dominant sides of kickboxing athletes were compared, a statistically significant difference was found in terms of SSASPT scores between the two sides (p = 0.038). However, there was no difference between the dominant and non-dominant sides in terms of YBT-UQ scores (p > 0.05). As a result of the study, it was observed that the anaerobic power values of the dominant side were higher than those of the non-dominant side in adolescent kickboxing athletes. However, the asymmetry between both sides was within normal limits. It was also found that dominance did not affect upper quarter balance and stability. These findings suggest that, in adolescent kickboxing athletes, comparing the affected extremity with the unaffected side may provide a reliable reference for return-to-sport decisions after injury, as well as for training planning and monitoring performance development.
Keywords : kickboks, dominantlık, üst ekstremite performans, y-denge testi, gülle atma testi

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL