Eccentric and Trunk Stability Exercise Program Effects in Young Soccer Players

Konstantinos Dafkou

Status: Completed

Conditions: Muscle Strength; Postural Balance

Treatments: Other: Balance training; Other: Core stability; Other: Sliding leg curl

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04329273

ERC-005/2020

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full description

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.

Enrollment: 21 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 16 to 19 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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21 participants in 2 patient groups

Training group

Experimental group

Description:

For the balance exercise the participants will perform one-legged stance of certain duration, on a stable surface. For the sliding leg curl exercise the participants lay supine on a mat, wearing only socks in order to create a slippery surface between their heels and the gym floor. The player begins by extending the hip and having the working leg on knee flexion. The contralateral limb is on hip flexion and knee flexion. The base of support is the shoulder blades, the elbows and the heel of the working leg. After assuming this position, the player begins to extend the knee, as slowly as possible, resisting the low friction properties of the ground. The core stability program consists of front plank, side planks, supine bridge, leg lowering and superman exercise. These exercises will be performed at the end of the training session, in contrast to the balance and hamstring exercises which will be executed before the training session.

Treatment:

Other: Core stability

Other: Balance training

Other: Sliding leg curl

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The participants in this group will follow only the usual training program