Core training review finds uneven benefits across athletic performance measures
Results favored trunk endurance, balance and sprint speed, while jump height, agility and trunk flexor strength remained uncertain in competitive athletes.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review reported better balance and sprint speed, greater core endurance and stronger trunk extensor muscles after core training. Findings for jump height, agility and trunk flexor strength were imprecise. Some performance measures therefore looked favorable, but the abstract does not establish a broad improvement in athletic performance or identify a preferred training program.
The abstract omits study counts, participant totals, comparison groups, program duration and effect sizes. With mixed study designs and no reported certainty assessment, the strength and practical size of the findings remain unclear.
The performance question
Researchers asked whether training the body’s central muscles affected performance in competitive sport. They examined strength and endurance alongside balance, sprinting, jumping and agility, allowing the reported results to differ across athletic tasks.
Where uncertainty remains
Imprecise results for jumping and agility leave uncertainty about those outcomes; they do not demonstrate that core training has no effect. The findings concern competitive athletes and do not directly answer questions about recreational exercisers.
The original publication
Exploring the role of the core in sports performance: a systematic review of the effects of core muscle training.
Bustos Carvajal JS, Arias Coronel F
Front Sports Act Living · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41098479
- Record checked
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