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This single-blind randomized controlled trial investigates the effects of a virtual reality-assisted exercise program added to routine hockey training on balance, functional ankle dorsiflexion, agility, and shooting performance in youth hockey players. Participants are randomly assigned to either routine training alone or routine training plus a 6-week virtual reality-assisted exercise intervention delivered via the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Outcomes are assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at 3-week follow-up by a blinded assessor.
This study is designed as a single-blind randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a virtual reality-assisted exercise program on balance, functional ankle dorsiflexion, agility, and shooting performance in youth hockey players. Participants are recruited from a competitive hockey team and randomly assigned to either a control group or an intervention group.
The control group continues routine hockey training, including warm-up exercises, passing drills, offense-defense organization, and penalty-corner practices, three days per week. The intervention group continues the same routine training and additionally participates in a virtual reality-assisted exercise program delivered via the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. The virtual reality intervention includes Obstacle Course, Ski Slalom, and NFL Slapshot games and is administered for 30 minutes per session, three sessions per week, over a 6-week period.
Outcome measures include dynamic balance assessed by the Y Balance Test, agility assessed by the T-run agility test, functional ankle dorsiflexion assessed by the weight-bearing lunge test, and shooting performance assessed using a standardized target-based shooting accuracy protocol. All outcomes are assessed at baseline, immediately after the 6-week intervention period, and at a 3-week follow-up. Outcome assessments are performed by a physiotherapist who is blinded to group allocation.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine Hockey Training (Control) | No Intervention | Participants continue routine hockey training (warm-up, passing drills, offense-defense organization, penalty-corner practices) 3 days/week. | |
| Routine Training + VR-Assisted Exercise | Experimental | Participants continue routine hockey training and additionally perform virtual reality-assisted exercises using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board, 30 minutes/session, 3 sessions/week, for 6 weeks. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Wii Balance Board Exergaming | Device | Obstacle Course, Ski Slalom, and NFL Slapshot; 30 minutes/session; 3 sessions/week; 6 weeks. |
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| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Shooting Performance | Shooting performance is assessed using a standardized target-based shooting accuracy protocol. Participants perform drag-flick shots toward predefined target zones, and total hit scores are recorded. Higher scores indicate better shooting accuracy. | Baseline, immediately post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-week follow-up |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Balance (Y Balance Test) | Dynamic balance is evaluated using the Y Balance Test. Normalized reach distances are recorded for each limb. | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-week follow-up |
| Functional Ankle Dorsiflexion (Weight-Bearing Lunge Test) |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ertuğrul Deniz KÖSE, Ph.D | Amasya University | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amasya University | Amasya | Merkez | 05100 | Turkey (Türkiye) |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Polikanova I, et al. Virtual reality training improves balance and agility in athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2021;39(4):456-464. Laufer Y, et al. The effect of virtual reality-based training on postural control. Gait & Posture. 2014;40(2):285-291. Schmitt KU, et al. Balance and sensorimotor training in sports performance. Sports Medicine. 2019;49(3):421-435. |
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De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in this study will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, following publication. Requests will be reviewed to ensure appropriate use and compliance with ethical approvals.
From publication
Access to the de-identified individual participant data will be granted to qualified researchers upon reasonable request, subject to approval by the corresponding author and in compliance with ethical approvals.
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Participants are randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups. The control group continues routine hockey training only, while the intervention group continues routine training and additionally receives a virtual reality-assisted exercise program. Group allocation remains fixed throughout the study, and outcomes are compared between groups across three assessment time points (baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up).
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Outcome assessments are performed by a physiotherapist who is blinded to group allocation.
Functional ankle dorsiflexion is assessed using the weight-bearing lunge test, with dorsiflexion angle measured for both ankles. |
| Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-week follow-up |
| Agility (T-run Agility Test) | Agility is assessed using the T-run agility test, with performance recorded as completion time in seconds. | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-week follow-up |