EFFECTIVENESS OF AQUATIC THERAPY ON FOOTBALL PLAYERS’ PERFORMANCE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Aquatic therapy involves exercises performed in water, which has a rich historical lineage in therapeutic practices. Ancient cultures recognized the healing properties of water, and in the 20th century, it evolved into the modern aquatic therapy used for movement rehabilitation. The American Physical Therapy Association formally integrated aquatic therapy into physical therapy and rehabilitation in 1992. The unique properties of water, including buoyancy, thermodynamics, hydrostatic pressure, density, and viscosity, make it a safe and effective medium for rehabilitation. Aquatic training reduces tissue impact forces, allowing for increased training without reaching injury thresholds. Despite its potential, the application of aquatic therapy in sports, particularly in football, remains underexplored. The aim of this review was to analyze recent research evidence on the effectiveness of aquatic therapy for improving football players’ performance. The systematic review primarily includes randomized controlled trials and experimental studies conducted between 2012 and 2022. Searches were performed using Google Scholar, PubMed, and PEDro databases, employing keywords such as "aquatic therapy approach", "football players", "speed", "agility", "core strength", "power" and "kick velocity". A total of 1,512 articles were initially identified using the specified keywords; however, only 10 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The findings indicate that the aquatic therapy approach effectively enhances the performance of football players.