Agility, Ankle Dorsiflexion, Motor Learning, Virtual Reality Based Therapy
Conditions
Keywords
Assistive Technology, Balance Control, Motor Learning, Sensorimotor Integration, Virtual Reality
Brief summary
This single-blind randomized controlled trial investigates the effects of a virtual reality-assisted exercise program added to routine hockey training on balance, functional ankle dorsiflexion, agility, and shooting performance in youth hockey players. Participants are randomly assigned to either routine training alone or routine training plus a 6-week virtual reality-assisted exercise intervention delivered via the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Outcomes are assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at 3-week follow-up by a blinded assessor.
Detailed description
This study is designed as a single-blind randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a virtual reality-assisted exercise program on balance, functional ankle dorsiflexion, agility, and shooting performance in youth hockey players. Participants are recruited from a competitive hockey team and randomly assigned to either a control group or an intervention group. The control group continues routine hockey training, including warm-up exercises, passing drills, offense-defense organization, and penalty-corner practices, three days per week. The intervention group continues the same routine training and additionally participates in a virtual reality-assisted exercise program delivered via the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. The virtual reality intervention includes Obstacle Course, Ski Slalom, and NFL Slapshot games and is administered for 30 minutes per session, three sessions per week, over a 6-week period. Outcome measures include dynamic balance assessed by the Y Balance Test, agility assessed by the T-run agility test, functional ankle dorsiflexion assessed by the weight-bearing lunge test, and shooting performance assessed using a standardized target-based shooting accuracy protocol. All outcomes are assessed at baseline, immediately after the 6-week intervention period, and at a 3-week follow-up. Outcome assessments are performed by a physiotherapist who is blinded to group allocation.
Interventions
DEVICENintendo Wii Balance Board Exergaming
Obstacle Course, Ski Slalom, and NFL Slapshot; 30 minutes/session; 3 sessions/week; 6 weeks.
Sponsors
Hitit University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Outcome assessments are performed by a physiotherapist who is blinded to group allocation.
Intervention model description
Participants are randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups. The control group continues routine hockey training only, while the intervention group continues routine training and additionally receives a virtual reality-assisted exercise program. Group allocation remains fixed throughout the study, and outcomes are compared between groups across three assessment time points (baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up).
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
16 Years to 25 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Youth hockey players affiliated with a competitive hockey team * Aged between 16 and 25 years * Regular participation in routine hockey training * Voluntary participation with written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Presence of an injury preventing participation in routine hockey training * Presence of visual or neurological conditions that may interfere with virtual reality-assisted exercises * Failure to attend the virtual reality-assisted exercise program for more than two consecutive sessions
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shooting Performance | Baseline, immediately post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-week follow-up | Shooting performance is assessed using a standardized target-based shooting accuracy protocol. Participants perform drag-flick shots toward predefined target zones, and total hit scores are recorded. Higher scores indicate better shooting accuracy. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Balance (Y Balance Test) | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-week follow-up | Dynamic balance is evaluated using the Y Balance Test. Normalized reach distances are recorded for each limb. |
| Functional Ankle Dorsiflexion (Weight-Bearing Lunge Test) | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-week follow-up | Functional ankle dorsiflexion is assessed using the weight-bearing lunge test, with dorsiflexion angle measured for both ankles. |
| Agility (T-run Agility Test) | Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-week follow-up | Agility is assessed using the T-run agility test, with performance recorded as completion time in seconds. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORErtuğrul Deniz KÖSE, Ph.D
Amasya University
Outcome results
None listed