Investigation of the Relationship Between Core Stability and Reaction Time in Taekwondo Athletes

IntroductionTaekwondo is one of the oldest martial arts in the world with a history of approximately 1500 years.It has gained great popularity especially in the last 50 years and has become the most widely practiced martial art today 1,2 .This sport, notable for its dynamic kicks, includes versatile techniques such as punches, kicks, blocks, and evasions.Success in taekwondo depends on the athlete's technical, tactical, mental, physical, and physiological competencies.When evaluated in terms of physical preparation, the main objective of taekwondo training is to prepare athletes to effectively manage both intense physical effort and the physiological requirements of competitions.Due to the nature of taekwondo competitions, athletes need to possess various physical competencies such as aerobic and anaerobic power, muscle strength, explosive power, flexibility, speed, reaction time, and agility 3,4,5 .In this context, the concept of speed, which is critically important in taekwondo, is defined as the ability of the athlete to move their body or a specific limb from one point to another as quickly as possible.This movement ability is supported by cognitive processes and willpower 6,7,8,9 .Neuromuscular functions play a central role in the cognitive dimension of speed, directly affecting the rate and force of muscle contraction as a result of the interaction between the central nervous system and the muscles.Increases in neural activity can accelerate an athlete's reaction time, enabling faster responses to external stimuli 10 .Reaction speed is directly related to the rate of maximal force production and includes the ability to respond rapidly in all movement planes and functional activities.The accurate evaluation of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic stimuli and the ability to respond to them with appropriate physical actions in the shortest time are Abstract Objectives: To examine the relationship between technical reaction time and core stabilization in taekwondo athletes.Methods: Cross-sectional correlational study of healthy male and female taekwondo athletes (n = 41; mean age 12.76 ± 1.07 years).Reaction performance was assessed using FITLIGHT Trainer sensors mounted on a taekwondo striking stand.Core stabilization was assessed using the Stabilizer Pressure Biofeedback Unit (PBU), a device employed to evaluate core muscle stabilization and deep abdominal muscle function.Spearman correlations (non-normal data) and Mann-Whitney U tests (sex comparisons) were applied.Results: Shorter reaction times were associated with a higher number of successful strikes (p < 0.05).Higher PBU task performance (time held) of the transversus abdominis muscle and multifidus muscle correlated with higher strike success rates.In unadjusted comparisons, male athletes achieved more successful strikes on both right and left sides and completed tasks with fewer errors; however, after adjusting for age, height, and weight, sex was not a significant predictor of outcomes.Transversus abdominis PBU task performance (time held) was significantly higher in males in unadjusted analyses, indicating superior core stabilization compared to females.Conclusion: These findings suggest that deep core muscles are important not only for postural stability but also for dynamic motor performance.