{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T13:13:38Z","timestamp":1779110018206,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,16]],"date-time":"2026-05-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778889600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Elite karate performance depends on neuromuscular power, joint mobility, and postural stability, yet sex-specific biomechanical profiles in this population remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined differences in lower-limb explosive power, joint kinematics, and visual-dependent postural control in 28 international-level karatekas. Assessments included vertical jump tests, joint mobility tasks performed at preferred and maximum velocities, and stabilometric evaluations under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Males demonstrated significantly longer flight and phase times across all jump tests (all p &lt; 0.05), and higher maximum angular velocities during shoulder flexion and extension, while females exhibited greater hip abduction range of motion during the Wall Split test (all p &lt; 0.05). In postural control, females showed larger Ellipse Area and Path Length under eyes-open conditions (p &lt; 0.05), but these differences were eliminated when vision was removed. The Romberg Index indicated comparable reliance on visual input between sexes. These findings may support the development of more individualized, sex-specific conditioning strategies in elite karate.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s26103161","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T12:36:40Z","timestamp":1779107800000},"page":"3161","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sex-Specific Differences in Neuromuscular Performance, Joint Mobility, and Postural Control in Elite Karate Athletes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9030-1998","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luca","family":"Molinaro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Massimo","family":"Montecchiani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"FIJLKAM\u2014Italian Federation of Judo, Wrestling, Karate and Martial Arts, 00100 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0006-7013","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefano","family":"Rossi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business Organization, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8997-7605","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juri","family":"Taborri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business Organization, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"129","article-title":"Quo Vadis, Karate","volume":"19","author":"Piepiora","year":"2023","journal-title":"Arch. 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