Effects of Combined Training on Physical Performance in Young Soccer Players

April 3, 2025 updated by: Muhammet Taha İlhan, Aydin Adnan Menderes University

Effects of Lower-body Strength Training Combined With Small-sided Games on Physical Performance in Young Soccer Players

Small-sided games (SSGs) are an effective training method for improving aerobic fitness. However, their effects on physical performance attributes such as, sprinting, jumping, agility, and repeated sprint ability (RSA) remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of lower-body strength training combined with SSGs training (CT) versus SSGs training alone on sprinting, agility, RSA, countermovement jump (CMJ), and aerobic fitness in young soccer players. Twenty young soccer players were randomly assigned to one of two groups: CT (n = 10; age: 14.0 ± 0.0) and SSGs (n = 10; age: 14.0 ± 0.0). The CT group performed lower-body strength training twice a week, in addition to SSGs training twice a week. The SSGs group performed SSGs training only twice a week, without any strength training. Before and after the 6-week training intervention, the 20-m sprint test, Illinois agility test (IAT), RSA, CMJ, and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 were conducted.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

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Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

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Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey
      • Aydın, Turkey
        • Aydın Adnan Menderes University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • have no injuries, illnesses, or physical limitations that would prevent participation in the study
  • have been training and playing official soccer for a minimum of 2 years
  • have participated in all testing protocols
  • have participated in a minimum of 80% of the training sessions
  • have not participated in any structured strength training program for the last six months, except for bodyweight exercises; and
  • have not been a goalkeeper

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Combined Training
During the 6-week intervention period, the combined training group performed 2 sessions per week of lower-body strength training and 2 sessions per week of small-sided games training in different formats. The combined training group also participated in their team's regular soccer training, which focused on technical and tactical skills, with 5 sessions per week (60-90 minutes each).
Other: Combined training
During the 6-week intervention period, the combined training group performed 2 sessions per week of lower-body strength training and 2 sessions per week of small-sided games training in different formats. The strength training was performed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This training was finished at least one hour before the team's technical and tactical soccer training. The strength training program is designed to include movements for bilateral hip dominant, bilateral knee dominant, unilateral hip dominant, unilateral knee dominant and calf muscles. The exercises were selected to allow players to perform them on the field with minimal equipment, without the need for machines. In addition, small field games training was practiced two days a week. Repetitions in reserve and resistance training-specific ratings of the perceived exertion scale were used to determine training intensity and load.
Experimental: Small-sided games alone
The small-sided games group performed 2 sessions per week of small-sided games training program in different formats, without participating in any strength training. The combined training group also participated in their team's regular soccer training, which focused on technical and tactical skills, with 5 sessions per week (60-90 minutes each).
Other: Small-sided games alone
The small-sided games group performed 2 sessions per week of small-sided games training program in different formats, without participating in any strength training. The small-sided games training was conducted twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays (8:00-10:00 p.m.) for 6 weeks. These training sessions started before the team's technical and tactical training. Extra balls are placed at the goals and along the field boundary lines, allowing play to restart immediately after the ball leaves the field. During the games, the offside rule was not applied. The game started with the foot when the ball left edge of the field. Other rules in the games were kept similar to those of official soccer. During the games, the coaches encouraged the players to exert maximum effort. The number of defenders, midfielders, and attackers in the teams was kept as equal as possible.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Height
Time Frame: After 6 weeks of training intervention
Height (in cm) was measured using a stadiometer (SECA, Hamburg, Germany). These measurement was taken in the morning, before breakfast, while the players wore light clothing and no shoes. Measurement was performed twice to reduce the margin of error.
After 6 weeks of training intervention
Body weights
Time Frame: After 6 weeks of training intervention
Body weights (in kg) were measured using a body mass measuring device (Fakir, Germany). These measurement was taken in the morning, before breakfast, while the players wore light clothing and no shoes. Measurement was performed twice to reduce the margin of error.
After 6 weeks of training intervention
Body mass index
Time Frame: After 6 weeks of training intervention
Body mass index (BMI) (kilograms/m2) was calculated from height and body weight values.
After 6 weeks of training intervention
20-m sprint
Time Frame: After 6 weeks of training intervention
The sprinting performance was assessed using the 20-m linear sprint test. The test was conducted using two pairs of photocells (Smartspeed, Fusion Sport Pty Queensland, Australia). The starting point was placed 70 cm behind the first pair of photocells. First, a familiarization trial was conducted at low intensity. The test was then performed twice, with two-minute passive recovery intervals. The best result was used for analysis.
After 6 weeks of training intervention
Agility
Time Frame: After 6 weeks of training intervention
To assess agility performance, the Illinois Agility Test (IAT), a valid and reliable test for male team athletes, was used. Prior to starting the test, the player lies in a prone position, with the chin touching the surface of the starting line. After the researcher's command started, the player quickly stood up and ran in the indicated direction, avoiding contact with the placed cones. First, a familiarization trial was conducted at low intensity. Two trials were then performed, with two-minute passive recovery intervals. The best time was used for analysis.
After 6 weeks of training intervention
Repeated sprint ability (RSA)
Time Frame: After 6 weeks of training intervention
RSA was assessed using the 6x20-m RSA test. A 20-second rest interval was provided between sprints. A photocell system (Smartspeed, Fusion Sport Pty, Queensland, Australia) was placed at the start and at the 20-m line to measure sprint time. The players started the test from the line marked 70 cm behind the first pair of photocells. The mean sprint time (mean sprint time over the six sprints) (RSAmean) and the total sprint time (total time over the six sprints) (RSAtotal) were used for the analysis.
After 6 weeks of training intervention
Vertical jump
Time Frame: After 6 weeks of training intervention
Vertical jump performance was evaluated using the countermovement jump (CMJ) test. The test was performed using the My Jump Lab smartphone application (Spain, Madrid, version 1.2.2), which has proven validity and reliability for vertical jump measurement. Players were instructed to begin the jump with their feet shoulder-width apart, in a 90° knee flexion position, with their hands on their hips. During the test, players were instructed to jump as high as possible while keeping their hands on their hips. The mobile phone was positioned 3 meters away from the player, and the camera height was set to 0.90 meters using a tripod. The players first performed a familiarization trial at low intensity. Each player then performed three jumps, with two-minute passive recovery intervals. The highest jump was used for analysis
After 6 weeks of training intervention
Aerobic fitness
Time Frame: After 6 weeks of training intervention
Aerobic fitness was assessed using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIRTL-1). The test was conducted following previously described instructions (Bangsbo et al., 2008). The players' estimated maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) after the test was calculated using the formula ''VO2max = 36.4 + (0.0084 x covered distance in YYIRTL-1)''.
After 6 weeks of training intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Aydin Adnan Menderes University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

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Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 2, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 24, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 24, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 28, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 3, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 10, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 10, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 3, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • AdnanMU-FSS-MTI-577954-280325-

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

I don't want to make any statement.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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