The Effect of an 8-Week Selected Theraband Training on Balance and Motor Performance in Young Wrestlers

* Corresponding Author: Milad Sadeghi, MSc. Address: Department of Corrective Exercise and Sport Injury, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Esfehan, Iran. Tel: +98 (938) 7090067 E-mail: milad13697@gmail.com 1. Department of Corrective Exercise and Sport Injury, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Esfehan, Iran. 2. Department of Sport Injuries & Corrective Exercise, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Esfehan University, Esfehan, Iran. *Milad Sadeghi1 , Reza Mahdavi Nejad2


Introduction
restling is among the most popular sports in Iran. The aggressive nature of wrestling results in >9 injuries per 1000 athletes [1]. In a study conducted W at the Beijing Olympics, the overall prevalence of injuries was estimated to be 9.30 per 100 athletes and 7.88 per 100 competitions; of which, 84.4% of all cases were reported as mild injuries [2].
Due to the high incidence of injury in this sport, it is essential for these athletes to perform proper and regular training. Accordingly, all of their muscles will be involved to enhance their strength and endurance. Elastic band exercises are considered as a safe tool. They are effective strategies for improving the neuromuscular system, muscle strength, and the ability to perform functional and balance tasks [8].
Han et al. performed a 4-week Theraband training among individuals with and without ankle sprains. Their collected results revealed that 4 weeks of balance training yielded significant improvements in both study groups [9]. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of Theraband selected exercises on balance and motor performance of young wrestlers in Baft City, Iran.

Participants and Methods
The statistical population of the present study consisted of all juvenile wrestlers in Baft City of Kerman Province, Iran. Like similar research literature, the athletes had ≥3 years of experience and exercised ≥3 sessions per week. Among them, 30 athletes (15 in the control group and 15 in the training group) were selected. To perform the dynamic balance test to explore the actual leg length, we measured the anterior-upper lumbar spine down to the medial ankle. This helped us to normalize the obtained data and gain a better comparison of the study subjects. We used the Y Balance Test to evaluate dynamic balance and Stork Balance Stand Test to assess static balance [11]. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) was also used to evaluate the basic movement pattern in the study subjects.
These inventories included 7 tests of deep squat, obstacle step, lunge, shoulder mobility, active leg lifting, trunk stability swimming, and rotational stability. The scoring method is that if a person made the correct move without compensatory movement, he/she would gain 3 points and if failed to make the compensatory movements or were unable to move, would obtain 2 and 1 points, respectively. Besides, if one felt pain during the movement, he/she would gain no points for that movement [7]. The training protocol of this study consisted of 8 weeks of Theraband exercises [13 ,10].

Results
Comparing the pre-test scores of the two study groups indicated a significant difference between static balance (t=-1. 10 in the control and experimental groups. As per Table 1, the Theraband exercise protocol significantly impacted balance and motor performance in the studied samples.
According to Table 1, in the post-test, there was a significant difference between the control and experimental groups. This finding reflects the effect of exercise on balance and motor performance.

Discussion
that the obtained data revealed the selected exercises of Theraband were associated with improved static and dynamic balance in the investigated wrestlers; thus, the collected results were consistent with those of research studies in different sports fields and different groups with and without injury. Khodabakhshi et al. reported the positive impact of these exercises on the dynamic balance of young footballers [14]. Han et al. also emphasized the positive effect of 4 weeks of Theraband resistance training on improving dynamic balance in both groups of with and without chronic ankle instability [9]. The current study results were in line with those of other research studies regarding the effect of Theraband resistance training on balance.
The increased balan cially essential in the lower limbs, deep receptor activity, and neuromuscular control. It also leads to maintaining balance in the course of action and gaining the most scores. Therefore, one of the reasons for the improvement of balance as a result of resistance training in this study can be related to the increase in strength of lower extremities of the study subjects after participating in resistance training protocol.

Conclusion
The current study results suggested that the selected Theraband resistance training program could improve the static and dynamic balance in the studied wrestlers. The intervention also increased the scores of those who are susceptible to impaired functional movement screening. Therefore, it seems that athletes in this field, along with specialized wrestling and free weights-lifting training, could also use Theraband training to improve the movement pattern and activate muscles throughout the range of motion. This helps to reduce injury and improve their movement patterns.

Compliance with ethical guidelines
Informed consent was obtained from the all participants and they were informed of the study method and objectives. They also were assured of the confidentiality of their personal information and were free to leave the study at any time

Funding
This study was extracted from the PhD. thesis of the first author approved by the Department of Corrective Exercise and Sport Injury at Islamic Azad University of Khorasgan branch, and received no financial support from any organization.

Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.