Young Age Soccer Player's Lower Limb Muscle Imbalance and Functional Status

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy
• Interventions: Behavioral: Low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise

• Registration Number: NCT06053632
• Lead Sponsor: Lithuanian Sports University

Brief Summary

A randomized controlled trial is designed to examine the effects of low-load and high-velocity eccentric exercises on lower limb muscular properties, imbalances and functional status of 13-15 years old female football players.

Detailed Description

Twenty participants were included in the study. All participants were divided in two groups - control and experimental. In the experimental group (n=10) participants after team soccer training additional received 4 weeks eccentric exercises, in the control group (n=10) - did not perform additional exercises. The research group performed additional low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Pre- and post- training assessment included concentric/eccentric knee extension and flexion at 60°/s and 120°/s, changes in muscle contractile characteristics and dynamic balance.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-03-01
• Primary Completion: 2023-05-01
• Study Completion: 2023-05-30
• Status Verified: 2023-09
• Study First Submitted: 2023-09-19
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-09-19
• Study First Posted: 2023-09-26
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-09-26
• Last Update Posted: 2023-09-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy players able to participate in training and competitions.
• Playing football for at least 2 years.
• Regularly participating in team training, 2-3 times a week.

Exclusion Criteria

• Female soccer players with a lower extremity injury (in a period of 6 months)
• Pain is less than 2 points on the Visual Analog Pain Scale.
• Irregular exercise
• The number of years of training attended is too low

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Experimental group	Low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise	The research group performed additional low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise 3 times per week for 4 weeks. 12 sessions in total.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Dynamic balance	Baseline and after 4 weeks	Y-balance Test evaluates lower extremity strength, knee stability and dynamic balance in anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral direction. For each direction, three practice trials were allowed before three test trials were recorded. Mean reach distances (cm) was normalized to leg length, which was measured from the anterior superior iliac spine to the most distal portion of the medial malleolus.
Changes in isokinetic peak torque (with Biodex)	Baseline and after 4 weeks	Knee extension/flexion isokinetic peak torque measurements will be done at 60°/s, 120°/s
Changes in muscle contractile characteristics (with tensiomyography (TMG))	Baseline and after 4 weeks	Muscle involuntary contractile characteristics of the lower-limb muscles-the rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), semitendinosus (ST), tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL)-will be recorded by measuring the response of these muscles to an induced electric stimulus (provoked by two self-adhesive electrodes) using TMG equipment on both the left and right lower extremities.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Lithuanian Sports University; 🇱🇹 Kaunas, Lithuania