Functional Fitness in Girls Aged 11–14 Practising Acrobatic Gymnastics

Introduction. Professional training in acrobatic gymnastics carries a high risk of injury. The use of appropriate tests allows for the detection of abnormalities in the biomechanical chain of the athletes, identification of a predisposition to injury, and the introduction of appropriate corrective exercises. One of the tools used for comprehensive functional assessment is the Functional Movement Screen (FMS). The aim of the study was to assess movement patterns using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) in girls aged 11-14 who practise acrobatic gymnastics, and to compare the results with a control group of peers who do not participate in organised physical activity.

Material and Methods. The study was conducted on a group of 148 girls. The study group consisted of 110 female acrobatic gymnasts. The control group consisted of 38 girls who reported no participation in any organised physical activity. Functional assessment was carried out using the Functional Movement Screen.

Results. The athletes in the study achieved significantly higher scores across all FMS tests. The highest scores were recorded among the acrobats in the ASLR right test (2.901 ± 0.316; p < 0.001) and ASLR left test (2.891 ± 0.388; p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found only in the shoulder mobility test. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were observed between the gymnasts’ age groups in any of the individual FMS tests.

Conclusions. The greatest differences in the results obtained between the study groups were observed in the ASLR test. No significant differences between the study groups were found for the shoulder girdle mobility test. The findings confirm the need to incorporate exercises into the training programme aimed at improving neuromuscular control and mobility, particularly in terms of shoulder girdle mobility, which may reduce the risk of injury and improve training effectiveness.