Investigation of the Relationship Between Trunk Muscle Endurance and Flexibility and Athletic Performance in Elite Adolescent Tennis Players
Investigation of the Relationship Between Trunk Muscle Endurance and Flexibility and Athletic Performance in Elite Adolescent Tennis Players
This study aims to examine how trunk (core) muscle endurance and flexibility relate to athletic performance in elite adolescent tennis players aged 11-18 years. Tennis requires speed, balance, strength, coordination, and repeated high-intensity movements. The trunk region plays an important role in transferring force between the upper and lower body and in maintaining posture and stability during sports activities. However, there is limited research on how trunk physical characteristics influence performance in young elite tennis players.
Participants who actively compete in tennis tournaments and train regularly will complete a set of standardized tests assessing flexibility, trunk muscle endurance, balance, sprint speed, agility, and strength. The results will help researchers understand whether trunk flexibility and endurance are associated with better athletic performance. Findings may guide coaches and health professionals in designing training programs that improve performance and potentially reduce injury risk in young athletes.
This cross-sectional descriptive study investigates the relationship between trunk muscle endurance, trunk flexibility, and athletic performance parameters in elite adolescent tennis players. Tennis is a high-intensity intermittent sport requiring rapid acceleration, deceleration, directional changes, and explosive movements. Physical performance depends on multiple components, including strength, flexibility, endurance, and neuromuscular coordination. The trunk region is biomechanically important because it provides proximal stability, supports postural control, and facilitates force transmission between upper and lower extremities during sport-specific movements.
Despite evidence suggesting that trunk function contributes to athletic performance and injury prevention, limited research has focused specifically on elite adolescent tennis players, whose neuromuscular characteristics may differ due to growth and maturation. Therefore, this study aims to clarify associations between trunk physical characteristics and performance outcomes in this population.
Elite tennis players aged 11-18 years who train regularly and compete in official tournaments will be recruited. After informed consent procedures, participants will undergo standardized testing on regular training days following a supervised warm-up protocol.
Assessments include:
Demographic measures: age, sex, height, body weight, body mass index, training frequency, and years of tennis experience.
Flexibility tests: sit-and-reach, trunk lateral flexion, trunk rotation, and trunk extension.
Trunk muscle endurance tests: Biering-Sorensen test, plank test, and side plank test.
Athletic performance tests: Y Balance Test for dynamic balance, 20-meter sprint test for speed, T-drill test for agility, push-up test for upper-extremity endurance, medicine ball throw for upper-body power, and vertical jump for lower-extremity explosive strength.
All measurements will be conducted in the same environment by an experienced assessor using standardized procedures. Statistical analyses will evaluate correlations and predictive relationships between trunk endurance/flexibility variables and performance outcomes.
The results are expected to clarify whether trunk flexibility and endurance are key determinants of athletic performance in adolescent tennis players. Understanding these relationships may support evidence-based training strategies targeting trunk function to enhance performance and reduce injury risk.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria: