Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Not Yet Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06920966

Recovery Optimization Intervention to Reduce the Risk of Injuries in Soccer Players

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate if recovery interventions using cold and hot water immersion can reduce the risk of injuries in amateur soccer players.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Do cold water immersions reduce muscle fatigue and improve performance more effectively than hot water immersions? What is the optimal timing and duration for these recovery interventions to maximize their effectiveness?

Researchers will compare:

Cold Water Immersion (CWI) Hot Water Immersion (HWI) No Immersion (NI) Thermographic Immersion (TI) based on individual thermal profiles

Participants will:

Undergo thermographic assessments to determine their thermal profiles. Perform physical tests such as isometric strength tests, countermovement jumps (CMJ), and squats with 50% body weight.

Complete wellness questionnaires to assess their subjective recovery and fatigue levels.

Provide blood and urine samples for biomarker analysis. Participate in recovery interventions (CWI, HWI, or TI) based on their assigned group.

Not Yet Recruiting

Trial opening soon.

Get Notified

Key information

Conditions

Muscle Fatigue (C23.888.592.612.612) Athletic Injuries Athletic Injuries (C26.857.500.124) Biomarkers (D23.050.301) Body Temperature Changes Cryotherapy (E02.095.301.250) Heat Stress Disorders Hyperthermia Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Physical Fitness (G11.427.410.698) Recovery of Function (G11.427.698.620) Signs and Symptoms Soccer (I03.450.642.845.750) Thermography (E01.370.350.700.750) Thermotherapy (E02.095.301.750) Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

Age: Participants must be adults (18 years or older). Gender: Both male and female participants are eligible. Sport: Participants must be amateur football players. Team Membership: Participants must be members of a football team in the Castilla-La Mancha regional category.

Consent: Participants must provide written informed consent to participate in the study.

Health: Participants must be in good general health, with no chronic illnesses or conditions that would contraindicate participation in physical activity or water immersion.

Exclusion criteria

Injury: Participants who have sustained an injury that prevents them from participating in football activities for at least two weeks during any of the study blocks.

Medical Conditions: Participants with medical conditions that contraindicate water immersion (e.g., severe cardiovascular conditions, open wounds, skin infections).

Withdrawal: Participants who choose to withdraw from the study at any point. Non-compliance: Participants who do not comply with the study protocol or fail to attend scheduled sessions.

Pregnancy: Female participants who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study period.

Treatment and study plan

Cold Water Immersion (CWI)

Other

Participants undergo five intermittent immersions of 2 minutes each in cold water (11°C), with 2-minute rest periods in between.

Other names: Intermittent Cold Water Immersion (11ºC)

Hot Water Immersion (HWI)

Other

Participants undergo a continuous immersion of 18 minutes in hot water (38°C)

Other names: Continuous hot water immersion (38ºC)

Thermography-Guided Immersion (TI)

Other

Based on thermographic assessments, participants with a hypothermic profile (decreased temperature) receive hot water immersion, while those with a hyperthermic profile (increased temperature) receive cold water immersion.

Primary outcomes

  1. Muscle Fatigue Reduction:

    Time frame: From pre-intervention to 48 hours post-intervention

    Evaluated through changes in biomarkers such as creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and myoglobin levels, measured at multiple time points (pre- and post-intervention).

  2. Countermovement Jump (CMJ) test

    Time frame: From pre-intervention to 48 hours post-intervention.

    Assessed using the countermovement jump (CMJ) test (cm)

  3. Isometric Strenght Test (Hamstrings)

    Time frame: From pre-intervention to 48 hours post-intervention.

    Assessed using isometric strength tests for the hamstrings (N)

  4. Isometric Strenght Test (Adductor)

    Time frame: From pre-intervention to 48 hours post-intervention.

    Assessed using isometric strength tests for the adductors (N)

  5. Squat Performance

    Time frame: From pre-intervention to 48 hours post-intervention.

    Assessed using squat performance with 50% body weight (reps)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Perceived Recovery

    Time frame: At 24 and 48 hours post-intervention.

    Description: Assessed using the Wellness Questionnaire, which includes questions on perceived recovery.

    Unit of Measure: Score on a scale (1-10) Details: Higher scores indicate better perceived recovery.

  2. Stress Levels

    Time frame: At 24 and 48 hours post-intervention.

    Description: Assessed using the Wellness Questionnaire, which includes questions on stress levels.

    Unit of Measure: Score on a scale (1-10) Details: Higher scores indicate higher stress levels.

  3. Fatigue

    Time frame: At 24 and 48 hours post-intervention.

    Description: Assessed using the Wellness Questionnaire, which includes questions on fatigue.

    Unit of Measure: Score on a scale (1-10) Details: Higher scores indicate higher levels of fatigue.

  4. Muscle Soreness

    Time frame: At 24 and 48 hours post-intervention.

    Description: Assessed using the Wellness Questionnaire, which includes questions on muscle soreness.

    Unit of Measure: Score on a scale (1-10) Details: Higher scores indicate higher levels of muscle soreness.

  5. Sleep Quality

    Time frame: At 24 and 48 hours post-intervention.

    Description: Assessed using the Wellness Questionnaire, which includes questions on sleep quality.

    Unit of Measure: Score on a scale (1-10) Details: Higher scores indicate better sleep quality.

  6. Overall Well-Being

    Time frame: At 24 and 48 hours post-intervention.

    Description: Assessed using the Wellness Questionnaire, which includes questions on overall well-being.

    Unit of Measure: Score on a scale (1-10) Details: Higher scores indicate better overall well-being.

  7. Thermographic Assessments

    Time frame: From pre-intervention to 48 hours post-intervention.

    Monitoring skin temperature changes using thermography to evaluate the effectiveness of the recovery interventions.

Other outcomes

  1. Injury Risk Assessment

    Time frame: From baseline (enrollment) to 24 weeks post-intervention.

    Examining the association between recovery interventions and injury risk, based on the incidence of injuries recorded during the study period.

  2. Concentration of 3-Methylhistidine in Urine

    Time frame: From pre-intervention to 48 hours post-intervention.

    Description: Additional analysis of urine samples for markers such as 3-methylhistidine to assess muscle damage and recovery.

    Unit of Measure: Micrograms per liter (µg/L)

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Antonio Alonso, MsC

CONTACT

[email protected]

+34 615 45 09 89

Jose Luis Felipe, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+34648885392

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Castilla-La Mancha

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Apr 10, 2025
Registry last updated
Apr 10, 2025

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.