Introduction: Functional movement is the ability to produce and maintain a balance between mobility and stability along the kinetic chain while performing fundamental patterns with accuracy and efficiency. Functional movement Screen (FMS) is commonly used to assess movement capacity and determine injury risk.
Methodology: The purpose of this study was to investigate sex differences in FMS scores of Karate and taekwondo athletes. 30 male Karate athletes (age=14.00±1.90, height=1.63±0.06, weight=61.95±5.84, BMI=23.34±2.51), 30 female Karate athletes (age =13.65±2.33, height=1.56±0.10, weight=48.56±1.05 BMI=19.80±2.83), 30 male Taekwondo athletes (age =14.85±1.83, height=1.62±0.11, weight=59.44±7.86, BMI=22.44±1.03), 30 female Taekwondo athletes (age=14.56±1.31, height=1.6±0.08, weight=50.04±8.4 BMI=19.53±2.52) performed the FMS test in this study.
Results: Female athletes scored significantly lower on the total composite scores compare to male, karate females (p=-0.004) and taekwondo females (p=-0.001) points. But no significant difference between karate and taekwondo athletes founded.
Discussion: female athletes scored 14 or less on the FMS total composite score and significantly lower in general compared with male athletes, which suggests these female athletes may be at higher risk for injury. This study did not directly examine intrinsic factors that influence movement patterns (muscle activity, neuromuscular control, and core stability; therefore, we can only speculate on why FMS scores were significantly lower in females. Previously identified sex differences in mentioned factors may explain some of the variability in our scores between male and female athletes. Although muscle activity, neuromuscular control, and core stability are not directly measured by the FMS, they are generally accepted as integral to functional movement and successful completion of the FMS tasks.