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Background and Study Aim. Muay thai is a combat sport in which the competitors kick, punch, knee, elbow and growl with their opponents. The strength of the leg muscles can increase the intensity of the kick and its flexibility is a well-known issue for this sport. Determining the most appropriate method for these issues provides important gains to the athletes. One of the methods applied to achieve these gains is acute massage applications. The aim of the study is to evaluate the acute effect of different massage times on squat jump, countermovement jump and flexibility performance. Materials and Methods. Twelve healthy male muay thai athletes (age, 19.83± 1.46 years; height, 175.33± 7.91 cm; body mass, 65.16 ±13.36 kg) participated in the study, who exercised three times a week. The study consists of a single group. The study consists of 4 different massage duration protocols. These protocols consist of no massage (NM), five minutes massage (5MMSG), ten minutes massage (10MMSG) and fifteen minutes massage (15MMSG). Counter movement jump, squat jump, sitting and lying flexibility were measured after each massage period, respectively. All protocols were continued on consecutive days. Results. There was a significant main effect for flexibility (F = 10,872 ; p = 0.00), countermovement jump (F = 4.719 p=.008) and squat jump (F = 6.262 p=.002) performance. The best flexibility, countermovement jump and squat jump performance detected immediately after 5MMSG was respectively 35,16 ± 6,33; 37,17 ± 4,18 and next, 36,05 ± 4,68. Conclusion. As a result, it is recommended that different massage durations are effective in improving physical performance, and 5MMSG before competition is recommended for athletes and coaches to get more performance.

Background and Study Aim. Strength, power and flexibility are among the features that provide advantage against the opponent in kick boxers. There are many factors that can affect the development of these parameters in a positive and negative way before the competition. These factors may differ according to the type and intensity of warm-up and stretching exercises, depending on psychological and physiological conditions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching, massage, PNF+massage on flexibility, vertical jump and hand grip strength performance in kickboxers. Materials and Methods. The sample group of the study consisted of 12 men (age: 18.50 ± 0.97 years, height: 161.60 ± 4.47 cm, body weight: 62.20 ± 9.07 kg, BMI: 23.77 ± 2.63), who did kick-box regularly for at least 3 years. This group performed 4 different stretching and warm up protocols on non-consecutive days. Warm up and stretching protocols were determined as follows: light jogging for only 5 minutes (NSM), PNF stretching (PNF), massage (M), PNF stretching+massage (PNF+M). After warm up and stretching protocols, participants completed vertical jump, flexibility and hand grip strength Results. There was a significant improvement on flexibility performance in order from low to high respectively NSM, PNF, PNF+M, M. Moreover, there was a significant difference between NSM and PNF, NSM and M, NSM and PNF+M in flexibility (p<.05). There was a significant difference between PNF and PNF+M, M and PNF+M in favour of PNF+M in vertical jump (p<.05). There was a significant decrease in right- and left-hand grip strength for all protocols. Conclusion. As a result of the study, PNF and massage can be recommended to kickboxers before flexibility performance. However, PNF and massage are not recommended before activities that affect the lower extremity, such as strength and vertical jump.

Purpose Visual feedback and music while warm up may help elicit peak performance, but its effect during the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) in futsal players is unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of music and visual stimulus on WAnT performance in futsal players. Methods The study included 17 young male futsal players (age, 21.53 ± 1.32 years; height, 177.59 ± 5.75 cm; 73.71 ± 9.31 kg; BMI 23.342 ± .47). The WAnT was administered using three distinct protocols: with music (M), without music (NM), and with music and visual feedback (MV) following a 10-min warm-up at 72-h intervals. After WAnT, the following parameters were evaluated: (a) peak power output: PPO (W), (b) relative peak power output: RPPO (W/kg), (c) mean power output: MPO (W), (d) relative mean power output: RMPO (W/kg), (e) fatigue index: FI (%), and (f) minimum power output MIPO (W). Results MV indicated that futsal players' WAnT values, including PPO, RPPO, MPO, RMPO, and MIPO improved more than with other protocols (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between protocols for FI (%) WAnT values (p > 0.05). Conclusions Listening to music and watching visual feedback while warm up before performing WAnT performance suggest to coaches and futsal players.

Background A number of specific tests are used to standardize competition performance. Specific Judo fitness test (SJFT) can be applied by considering the start of the competition qualifiers in the morning and the continuation of the final competitions in the evening. The improvement of test performances can be achieved with warm-up for elevating heart rate (HR) and muscle temperature such as raise, activate, mobilise, potentiate (RAMP) protocols. Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of different warm-up protocols on SJFT at different times of the day in female judokas. Methods Ten volunteer women participated in this study, who regularly participated in judo training for more than 5 years and actively competed in international competitions. Judokas completed SJFT, either after no warm-up, or RAMP protocols like specific warm-up (SWU), and dynamic warm-up for two times a day in the morning: 09:00–10:00 and in the evening: 16:00–17:00, with at least 2 days between test sessions. The following variables were recorded: throws performed during series A, B, and C; the total number of throws; HR immediately and 1 min after the test, and test index after different warm-ups. Results When analyzed evening compared to the morning without discriminating three warm-up protocols, evening results statistically significant number of total throws performed during series A, B, and C, the total number of throws; HR immediately and 1 min after the test, and test index than morning results (p < 0.01). Moreover, RAMP protocols interaction with time have demonstrated an impact on SJFT for index [F(2) = 4.15, p = 0.024, ηp2: 0.19] and changes after 1 min HR [F(1.370)= 7.16, p = 0.008, ηp2: 0.29]. HR after 1 min and test index results were statistically significant in favor of SWU (p < 0.05). Conclusions In conclusion, SJFT performance showed diurnal variation and judo performances of the judokas can be affected more positively in the evening hours especially after RAMP protocols.