Abstract:
This study systematically reviews the literature examining the relationship between Funda mental Movement Screen (FMS©) scores and athletic performance in youth. We searched English language papers on PubMed/MEDLINE, SportsDiscus, CINAHL, and EBSCO for the following
inclusion criteria: Participants aged between 11 and 17 years, studies had to include the Functional
Movement Screen© (FMS©) and at least one of the following performance outcomes, highlighted
by athletic development models (i.e., long-term athletic development (LTAD), youth physical devel opment (YPD)): agility, speed, power, strength, endurance, and balance (YPD), fitness (LTAD), or
sport-specific skill (LTAD and YPD). A total of 3146 titles were identified, with 13 relevant studies
satisfying the inclusion criteria after full-text screening. The results of this systematic review suggest
that children and youth who score highly on the FMS© also tend to have better scores for agility,
running speed, strength, and cardiovascular endurance. The strength of associations was weak to
moderate in nature. Only one study was considered or controlled for biological maturation in their
analysis. These results provide evidence that, while there is a relationship between FMS© scores
and tests of athletic performance in youth, they are not the same thing and should be considered
conceptually different constructs.
