Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04329273

Eccentric and Trunk Stability Exercise Program Effects in Young Soccer Players

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of an in-season mixed training program on several physiological parameters of soccer players. Twenty-one U19 elite soccer players recruited and randomly assigned to either an 8-week specific training experimental group or a control group. The program will include an eccentric hamstring exercise, static balance exercises and core muscles strengthening exercises. Isokinetic hamstring and quadriceps strength, single leg static balance and lumbopelvic stability will be measured prior and after the intervention.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Muscle Strength Postural Balance

Age range

16 year–19 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of physical education and sport sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Serres, 62110, Greece

About this study

A total of 123 male Under-19 (U19) players from several soccer teams were initially invited for participation in the study after signing informed consent forms. following a second contact with the participants, questionnaire forms with inclusion and exclusion criteria were send for completion.

Based on their self-report and a clinical examination by a health professional, of the 103 players, 42 did not meet the inclusion criteria, while 12 players did not participate for personal reasons. Of the remaining 69 players, 48 players were excluded, including 3 players reporting an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, 14 because of lower extremity injury led to more than two weeks absence from training and 10 players because of secondary injuries or health problems that led to loss of training the past 3 months.

A neutral, blinded investigator with no further involvement in the study was responsible for randomized allocation of participants in two groups. All training sessions in the training group will be supervised by a fitness coach, who will ensure that the exercises are performed according to protocol.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 16 to 19 years old soccer players
  • Trained at least 3 times and played 1 match weekly, the past 4 years
  • Healthy
  • Free from muscle injuries in the 6 months prior to the study

Exclusion criteria

  • History of anterior cruciate ligament rupture
  • History of ankle, hip or knee injury with duration at least 1 week, in the 3 months prior to the study
  • Muscle injury with duration at least 1 week, in the 3 months prior to the study
  • Any reason resulting in 2 weeks loss of training the preceding 6 months
  • Involvement in hamstring strengthening, core stability or balance training program in the 6 months prior to the study

Treatment and study plan

Sliding leg curl

Other

The exercise protocol consists of the following sets and repetitions Week 1- 2 sessions with 2 sets of 6 repetitions Week 2- 2 sessions with 3 sets of 6 repetitions Week 3- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 6 repetitions Week 4- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 8 repetitions Week 5- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 10 repetitions Week 6- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 10 repetitions Week 7- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 8 repetitions Week 8- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 8 repetitions

Balance training

Other

The exercise protocol consists of 2 sessions/week with 4 sets of 30'' single stance.

Week 1 and 2- 1 set of 30'' single leg stance and 3 sets of 30'' single leg stance and ball kicks with contralateral foot Week 3 and 4- 2 sets of 30'' single leg stance while moving the ball around the leg with the contralateral foot and 2 sets of 30'' single leg stance, moving a ball around the knee with hands and kicking a ball with contralateral foot Week 5 and 6- 2 sets of 30'' single leg stance while giving and receiving hand passes with medicine ball (in couples) and 2 sets of 30'' single leg stance with perturbations (in couples) Week 7 and 8- Same as week 5 and 6 with extra 15" in each repetition

Core stability

Other

The exercise protocol consists of the following sets and repetitions Week 1 and 2- 3 sets of 30'' front plank, 3 sets of 20'' side plank, 2 sets of 30'' superman, 2 sets of 30'' supine bridge and 2 sets of 10 repetitions leg lowering exercise Week 3 and 4- increasing difficulty in 2 of the sets Week 5 and 6- adding 1 more set at each exercise Week 7 and 8- adding 15" in each repetition

Primary outcomes

  1. Peak concentric and eccentric torque of hamstrings and quadriceps

    Time frame: Change from baseline assessment at 8 weeks

    Peak torque (N.m) is measured using isokinetic dynamometer at each angular velocity (30°·s-1, 180°·s-1, 240°·s-1).

  2. Total sway of the center of pressure (CoP)

    Time frame: Change from baseline assessment at 8 weeks

    This is defined as the average distance (mm) of the CoP from the reference lines and the amplitude is its standard deviation

Secondary outcomes

  1. Angle at peak torque of hamstrings and quadriceps

    Time frame: Change from baseline assessment at 8 weeks

    The angle at which peak torque of hamstrings and quadriceps muscles was achieved, at each angular velocity, measured in degrees (°)

  2. Conventional hamstrings to quadriceps ratio

    Time frame: Change from baseline assessment at 8 weeks

    This is calculated by dividing peak isokinetic concentric hamstring strength by the peak isokinetic concentric quadriceps strength, at the same angular velocity

  3. Dynamic hamstrings to quadriceps ratio

    Time frame: Change from baseline assessment at 8 weeks

    This is calculated by dividing peak isokinetic eccentric hamstring strength by the peak isokinetic concentric quadriceps strength, at the same angular velocity

  4. Mixed hamstrings to quadriceps ratio

    Time frame: Change from baseline assessment at 8 weeks

    This is calculated by dividing peak isokinetic eccentric hamstring strength at 30°·s-1 by the peak isokinetic concentric quadriceps strength at 240°·s-1

  5. Average speed of CoP

    Time frame: Change from baseline assessment at 8 weeks

    This reflects the amplitude and frequency of CoP movements and is calculated as the total length of the path of CoP divided by the test trial time (mm·s-1 )

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Konstantinos Dafkou

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of an 8-week Eccentric and Trunk Stability Exercise Program on Muscle Strength and Postural Stability in U19 Elite Soccer Players

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Apr 1, 2020
Registry last updated
Jul 16, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.