1.    Introduction
Balance is a fundamental component for engaging in sports activities, as athletes often operate beyond their base of support, necessitating control of their bodies against the force of gravity (1). Optimal exercise performance requires all variables to be at their peak levels. Maintaining bodily posture while standing is a complex task, involving the integration of sensory-motor, vestibular, and visual information to assess body position and movement in space, and generate forces for posture control (2). The transmission of power from the knee and ankle plays a crucial role in balance control (3). Notably, ankle injuries are among the most common injuries in taekwondo athletes (4).
1.    Methods
Subjects were selected from a pool of 80 taekwondo practitioners, with 30 athletes ultimately chosen as the main sample. They were then divided into control (15 individuals) and experimental (15 individuals) groups. Inclusion criteria comprised female gender, aged between 15 and 18 years, willingness to participate, absence of medical contraindications, no history of permanent injury or surgery in the upper and lower limbs, and no neurological impairments. Participants from both groups received brief explanations and training on conducting the experiment before signing consent forms. Subsequently, individual information was recorded via questionnaires, and the desired tests were administered. Before the tests, participants engaged in lower limb muscle stretching exercises for 60 seconds, repeated three times per group. Initial evaluations included static and dynamic balance tests using the Stork and Y tests, respectively, and functional movement assessments using the Functional Movement Screening Test (FMS). Following the pre-tests, subjects were assigned to either the control or experimental groups (15 individuals each). The experimental group underwent six weeks of neuromuscular exercises, while the control group continued with their regular sports activities. Post-training, the same tests as pre-training was re-evaluated.
The one-legged standing test was utilized to evaluate static balance. Participants removed their shoes, crossed their arms, and bent one leg at the knee, placing the toe on the inner side of the opposite knee. They then lifted the heel of the supporting foot off the ground, maintaining balance on one leg. The timer commenced when the heel left the ground and stopped upon occurrence of any of the following errors: separation of hands from arms, separation of the leg resting on the knee, or loss of balance leading to the heel of the supporting foot touching the ground (2).
2.    Results
Analysis of covariance regarding the exercise effect on static balance demonstrated a significant difference in post-test static balance results between the control and training groups, after controlling for pre-test effects (CORIT) (P≥0.05). The training group exhibited a significant improvement in static balance compared to the control group, with a large effect size indicated by a parabolic eta square of 0.67 (Table 1).

Additionally, as per Table 1, correlated t-test results revealed a significant difference in static balance after one week, both in the control group engaged in taekwondo exercises and the neuromuscular training group.
Further covariance analysis results indicated a significant difference in Y balance test results and its dimensions between the control and training groups post-test, after controlling for pre-test effects (P≥0.01). Specifically, the neuromuscular training group demonstrated significant improvements in various directions and total scores compared to the control group.
3.    Conclusion
This study aimed to assess the impact of neuromuscular exercises on balance and functional movement in female taekwondo athletes aged 15 to 18 years. The findings revealed the effectiveness of neuromuscular exercises in enhancing both static and dynamic balance among taekwondo athletes. Moreover, the use of the neuromuscular program led to improvements in functional movement screening test scores. These results align with previous research by Nemati et al., who observed improved movement performance and reduced injuries in football athletes following the 11+ warm-up program, and studies by Bayati et al., Zarei et al., Minunjad et al., and Mayo et al., which demonstrated enhanced functional movement in wrestling athletes with specific warm-up programs (2, 3, 5-7).

Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
There were no ethical considerations to be addressed in this research.
Funding
This research did not receive any grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors.
Authors' contributions
All authors contributed equally to preparing the article.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.