The Effect of a Gymnastics-Specific Injury Prevention Program on Balance, Muscle Strength, Range of Motion, and Flexibility in Female Artistic Gymnasts with High and Low Injury Risk
To assess the effects of an injury prevention program on balance, strength, range of motion, and flexibility.
Design
A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest controlled study with parallel groups will be conducted on 56 female artistic gymnasts aged 13–17 years. Participants will be randomly allocated to intervention and control groups after FMS screening. The study is unblinded and not applicable to clinical trial phases.
Settings and conduct
This study will be conducted on female gymnasts aged 13 to 17 in gymnastics clubs in Kerman. Following screening using the FMS test, subjects will be classified based on injury risk level and randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. Assessments of dynamic balance, muscle strength, range of motion, and flexibility will be performed at both pre-test and post-test stages. The intervention group will undergo a gymnastics-specific injury prevention program—consisting of three sessions per week—for eight weeks, while the control group will continue with their routine training. The study will be conducted without blinding.
Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Female gymnasts aged 13–17 years with ≥2 years of training, no active injury, and high or low injury risk based on FMS.
Exclusion: >2 absences, disabling injury, or withdrawal.
Intervention groups
Intervention group: 8-week artistic gymnastics-specific injury prevention program, 3 sessions/week, 20 min/session, alongside regular training.
Control group: Regular gymnastics training without the injury prevention program.
Main outcome variables
Dynamic balance; muscular strength; range of motion; flexibility
General information
Reason for update
Acronym
IRCT registration information
IRCT registration number:IRCT20260727070378N1
Registration date:2026-10-05, 1405/07/13
Registration timing:retrospective
Last update:2026-10-05, 1405/07/13
Update count:0
Registration date
2026-10-05, 1405/07/13
Registrant information
Name
Hadis Poshteshirani
Name of organization / entity
The University of shahid bahonar kerman
Country
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Phone
+98 34 3275 4431
Email address
hadis.shirani.77@sport.uk.ac.ir
Recruitment status
Recruitment complete
Funding source
Expected recruitment start date
2026-05-08, 1405/02/18
Expected recruitment end date
2026-05-18, 1405/02/28
Actual recruitment start date
empty
Actual recruitment end date
empty
Trial completion date
empty
Scientific title
The Effect of a Gymnastics-Specific Injury Prevention Program on Balance, Muscle Strength, Range of Motion, and Flexibility in Female Artistic Gymnasts with High and Low Injury Risk
Public title
The Effect of a Gymnastics-Specific Injury Prevention Program on Balance, Muscle Strength, Range of Motion, and Flexibility in Female Artistic Gymnasts with High and Low Injury Risk
Purpose
Prevention
Inclusion/Exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria:
• Female gymnasts aged 13–17
•At least two years of regular artistic gymnastics training experience
•Good general health and absence of active lower-limb or spinal injuries
•No history of lower-limb or spinal surgery within the past two years
• Willingness to participate in the study and commitment to regular attendance at training sessions and assessments.
• Classification into either the high-risk or low-risk category for injury based on FMS screening results.
Exclusion criteria:
•Failure to adhere to the training program (absence exceeding two sessions)
•Occurrence of an injury during the study that prevents the continuation of activities
Age
From 13 years old to 17 years old
Gender
Female
Phase
N/A
Groups that have been masked
No information
Sample size
Target sample size:
56
Randomization (investigator's opinion)
Randomized
Randomization description
Eligible individuals are categorized into high-risk and low-risk groups based on their FMS test results. Subsequently, participants are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group, with each group comprising 24 individuals—12 classified as high-risk and 12 as low-risk.
Blinding (investigator's opinion)
Not blinded
Blinding description
Placebo
Not used
Assignment
Parallel
Other design features
Secondary Ids
empty
Ethics committees
1
Ethics committee
Name of ethics committee
Ethics Committee of Kerman University of Medical Sciences
Street address
Kerman, beginning of Haft-Bagh-e Alavi Boulevard – University of Medical Sciences Campus
City
Kerman
Province
Kerman
Postal code
7616913555
Approval date
2026-07-25, 1405/05/03
Ethics committee reference number
IR.KMU.REC.1405.147
Health conditions studied
1
Description of health condition studied
Artistic gymnastics injury prevention
ICD-10 code
ICD-10 code description
Primary outcomes
1
Description
Dynamic balance
Timepoint
At baseline before the intervention and after 8 weeks of intervention
Method of measurement
Y-Balance Test including anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral reach directions, with the best performance recorded from three trials
2
Description
Muscle strength
Timepoint
At baseline before the intervention and after 8 weeks of intervention
Method of measurement
Handheld dynamometer for measuring quadriceps, hamstring, and gluteus medius muscle strength, using three 5-second trials
3
Description
Lower-limb joint range of motion
Timepoint
At baseline before the intervention and after 8 weeks of intervention
Method of measurement
Modified Thomas Test for hip joint range of motion and Weight-Bearing Lunge Test for ankle range of motion, measuring the distance from the great toe to the wall in centimeter
4
Description
Lower-limb muscle flexibility
Timepoint
At baseline before the intervention and after 8 weeks of intervention
Method of measurement
Straight Leg Raise Test for measuring hamstring muscle flexibility
Secondary outcomes
empty
Intervention groups
1
Description
Intervention group: Implementation of an artistic gymnastics-specific injury prevention program for 8 weeks—three sessions per week, lasting approximately 20 minutes each—alongside routine gymnastics training. The program will be administered progressively, moving from simple to advanced exercises, and will include muscle strengthening, balance, neuromuscular control, and flexibility exercises.
Category
Prevention
2
Description
Control group: Usual gymnastics training for 8 weeks without the injury prevention program
Is the source of funding the same sponsor organization/entity?
Yes
Title of funding source
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman
Proportion provided by this source
100
Public or private sector
Public
Domestic or foreign origin
Domestic
Category of foreign source of funding
empty
Country of origin
Type of organization providing the funding
Academic
Person responsible for general inquiries
Contact
Name of organization / entity
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman
Full name of responsible person
Hadis Poshtehshirani
Position
M.Sc. Student
Latest degree
Bachelor
Other areas of specialty/work
Sports Injury and Corrective Exercise
Street address
No. 1, 15th Alley, Sadeh St
City
Kerman
Province
Kerman
Postal code
7614868779
Phone
+98 34 3275 4431
Email
Hadis.shirani.77@sport.uk.ac.ir
Person responsible for scientific inquiries
Contact
Name of organization / entity
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman
Full name of responsible person
Saeid Bahiraei
Position
Assistant Professor
Latest degree
Ph.D.
Other areas of specialty/work
Sports Injury and Corrective Exercise
Street address
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Afzali Pour Square, Imam Khomeini Highway, Kerman, Iran
City
Kerman
Province
Kerman
Postal code
7616914111
Phone
+98 34 3325 7623
Email
s.bahiraei@uk.ac.ir
Person responsible for updating data
Contact
Name of organization / entity
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman
Full name of responsible person
Hadis Poshtehshirani
Position
M.Sc. Student
Latest degree
Bachelor
Other areas of specialty/work
Sports Injury and Corrective Exercise
Street address
No. 1, 15th Alley, Sadeh St
City
Kerman
Province
Kerman
Postal code
7614868779
Phone
+98 34 3275 4431
Email
Hadis.shirani.77@sport.uk.ac.ir
Sharing plan
Deidentified Individual Participant Data Set (IPD)
No - There is not a plan to make this available
Justification/reason for indecision/not sharing IPD
Due to considerations regarding the confidentiality and protection of participants’ information, there are no plans to share individual participant data from this study.