Warm-Up Phases and Neuromuscular Performance

Knee joint proprioception was assessed using a Baseline Digital Inclinometer (Fabrication Enterprises Inc., USA). Active joint position sense (JPS) of the dominant knee was measured with this device. Participants were seated in a 90° hip and knee flexion position. Initially, the researcher passively positioned the participant's knee at 30° of flexion with eyes open, instructing the participant to memorize the angle. The participant was then asked to close their eyes and actively replicate the target position. The angular deviation from the target was recorded as the proprioceptive error. This procedure was repeated three times, and the mean error was used for analysis .

The Sargent Jump Test (SJT) was used to evaluate the explosive power of the lower extremities. Participants stood side-on to a wall and extended their dominant arm upward to mark their maximum reach height while standing flat-footed. This point was recorded as the baseline. From a standing position, participants performed a maximal vertical jump and touched the wall at the peak of their jump. The difference between the jump reach and the standing reach height was calculated and recorded as the jump height. Three trials were conducted, and the highest value was used for analysis. A higher score indicates better performance .

Agility was measured using the T-Test, a standardized test involving four cones arranged in a T-shaped configuration. In this setup, three cones were placed in a straight line, each 4.57 meters apart. A fourth cone was placed 9.14 meters perpendicular to the middle cone. Participants were instructed to sprint forward to the center cone, shuffle laterally to each side cone, and then backpedal to the start. The time taken to complete the course was measured using electronic timing gates. Shorter times indicate better agility performance .

Dynamic balance was assessed using the Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test. Participants stood barefoot on one leg, placing the stance foot at the center of a Y-shaped grid, with toes behind the starting line. While maintaining single-leg balance, participants reached as far as possible with the non-stance leg in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions without losing balance or touching down. Each participant performed three trials per direction, and the average reach distance was calculated for each. Higher reach distances indicate better dynamic balance performance .