Can the Core Stability Training Influences Sprint and Jump Performances in Young Basketball Players?

The core is the center of the functional kinetic chain providing the proximal stability for the distal mobility and function of the limbs. The study aims to verify the effects of an integrative core stability training on jump and sprint performance in young basketball players. Young basketball players were involved in the study (n = 42, 16 female, 26 male) whose age, stature and weight were respectively (average ± ds) 8.22 ± 0.4 years, 118.2 ± 3.7 cm and 28.8 ± 4.9 kg and was randomly divided in Training Group (TG, n = 24, 10 F, 14 M) and Control Group (CG, n = 18, 6 F, 12 M). The training program was monitored for 4 weeks (8 sessions, twice a week and lasting 1 hour each during the usual sports activity; in addition to the usual technical and sport-specific exercises, the TG introduced only 4 core stability exercises in the warm-up). The results revealed a change in test scores across the two time periods for TG in the left limb Side hop (p < 0.026), in the right limb side hop (p < 0.001), in the left limb 6 meter timed hop (p < 0.0005), in the right limb 6 meter timed hop (p < 0.0005), in the vertical jump (p < 0.002), in the 10 meters sprint (p < 0.0005) and in the 10 × 5 meters test (p < 0.001). The CG highlighted differences statistically significant only in the 10 meters sprint (p < 0.05). The study confirms the need to hypothesize in youth sport supplementary sessions intended for strength training, as the literature has already suggested for several years.