Sport Sciences and Health Research

Sport Sciences and Health Research

Functional Movement Screen Assessment and Training Effects in Military Cadets: Implications for Injury Prevention and Readiness

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Amir Shamlou kazemi 1
Hamid Omidi 2
Sabzevari rad Reza 2
1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, School of Literature and Humanities, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.
2 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Command and management, Imam Ali Military' University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/sshr.2026.403244.1210
Abstract
Aim: To compare the effects of functional exercise and general exercise programs on FMS scores in army cadets during an intensive training period.
Materials and Methods: Thirty-four male cadets (mean age 19.71 ± 2.23 years) participated in a controlled training study. The FMS was administered pre- and post-training following the Cook et al. protocol. Seven movement tasks were scored on a 0–3 scale; total scores ranged from 0 to 21. Participants were allocated to either a functional exercise group (n = 17) or a general exercise group (n = 17). Within-group changes were analyzed using paired t-tests; between-group comparisons were performed using ANCOVA, controlling for baseline scores. Significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: The functional exercise group demonstrated significant improvements in all FMS tasks except shoulder mobility (p < 0.05), whereas no significant changes occurred in the general exercise group (p > 0.05). Post-test ANCOVA revealed significantly higher scores in the functional exercise group across all tasks except shoulder mobility (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Functional exercise training during military preparation significantly improves movement quality and may reduce injury risk. Incorporating FMS-based functional training into cadet conditioning programs may enhance operational readiness.
Keywords
Functional Movement Screening
Military Students
Physical Fitness
Functional Exercises
Sport Sciences and Health Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 November 2026