DOI: 10.56639/jsar.1929799 ISSN: 2687-6027

An Investigation of Post-Fatigue Balance and Reactive Performance in Athletic and Sedentary Females

Alirıza Han Civan
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This study investigated the acute effects of fatigue induced by the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test on dynamic balance and reactive agility in athletic and seden-tary young women. Thirty-two female volunteers aged 18–25 years were divided into two groups: a sedentary group (n = 16; 21.62 ± 1.58 years) and an athlete group (n = 16; 19.75 ± 1.39 years). A two-group pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design was employed. Following a standardized warm-up, participants completed baseline as-sessments using the Y-Balance Test and a Y-shaped reactive agility test. Acute fatigue was then induced by a 30-s Wingate test, and post-test measurements were obtained immediately thereafter. Heart rate responses and rating of perceived exertion were al-so recorded. Reactive agility performance deteriorated significantly after fatigue in both the sedentary group (p < 0.001) and the athlete group (p = 0.038). Repea-ted-measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects of time (p < 0.001) and group (p < 0.001), whereas the time × group interaction was not significant (p = 0.977). In contrast, no significant changes were observed in dynamic balance performance in any reach direction (all p > 0.05). Heart rate and perceived exertion responses were gene-rally comparable between groups (all p > 0.05), although peak heart rate was signifi-cantly higher in the athlete group (p = 0.036). These findings indicate that acute fatigue impairs reactive agility more than dynamic balance in young women, regardless of training status. Practically, training programs may incorporate reaction- and deci-sion-based tasks under fatigue to better prepare individuals for sport-specific de-mands.

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