The Influence of Corrective Exercises on Functional Movement Screen and Physical Fitness Performance in Army ROTC Cadets

摘要

Context: The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a screening tool designed to identify limitations in mobility and stability throughout the body. The existing literature has demonstrated the FMS is effective at identifying movement dysfunctions; however, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness or improving FMS scores through individual corrective exercises. Theoretically, improving functional movement may provide assistance in improving physical performance and potentially decrease occurrence of injury. Objective: To examine if an individualized corrective exercise program is effective at improving FMS scores in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets. In addition, the study aimed to correlate improvements in composite FMS scores with the ROTC cadets’ physical fitness performance as established with the standard Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Design: Cluster- randomized, cohort study Methods: Forty-four healthy, physically active ROTC cadets (age: 19.84±1.48 years, weight: 71.75±13.52 kg, height: 172.29±45.20 cm) met all inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study. Participants were assigned into one of two groups: experimental (n=24) or control (n=20). Participants in the experimental group were required to complete an individualized corrective exercise program three times per week for four weeks, in conjunction with the current morning ROTC Physical Training (P.T) regime. The participants in the control group continued to participate in the standard preparation drills during morning P.T. Results: Two, Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to compare FMS total composite scores and APFT total composite scores performed between groups. A Pearson product-moment correlation was used to explore the relationship between FMS and APFT scores. The statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in FMS composite scores between the control and intervention groups following the 4-week intervention (U=87, z=-3.83, p=0.001, Effect size=1.33, 95% CI: 0.69-1.98), while analysis revealed no significant difference in APFT scores between the two groups (U=237.5, z=-0.33, p=0.74). Lastly, a non-significant, correlation between the FMS and APFT scores (r=0.25, p=0.10). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated individualized corrective exercises improved FMS scores, but fail to improve physical fitness performance, as measured by the APFT. The results indicated a weak correlation between FMS and physical fitness performance. Word Count: 340