Neuromuscular Fatigue Assessment in Youth Soccer

May 29, 2026 updated by: Istanbul Gelisim University

Differential Neuromuscular Fatigue Responses in Multi- and Single-Joint Force Following a Simulated Soccer Protocol in Youth Players: Evidence for Divergent Assessment Sensitivity

This clinical trial investigates neuromuscular fatigue and recovery responses following a standardized soccer-specific fatigue protocol in trained young male soccer players. The study compares the sensitivity of different neuromuscular performance assessments, including the countermovement jump (CMJ), isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), and isometric hamstring 90-90 (IH90-90) tests, for detecting fatigue and recovery over time.

The main questions the study aims to answer are:

  • Which neuromuscular assessment is most sensitive for detecting fatigue following soccer-specific activity?
  • How do force production characteristics change immediately after exercise and during recovery?
  • Do single-joint and multi-joint isometric assessments demonstrate different recovery patterns?

Participants complete a standardized soccer simulation fatigue protocol and perform neuromuscular performance tests before exercise, immediately after exercise, and 24 and 48 hours following the protocol.

The findings may help improve fatigue monitoring strategies during congested training and match schedules in soccer players and support approaches aimed at reducing injury risk.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

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.

Detailed Description

Neuromuscular fatigue monitoring is widely used in soccer to evaluate recovery status, optimize training load, and reduce injury risk during congested training and match schedules. However, different neuromuscular assessments may reflect distinct aspects of fatigue and recovery, and the time-dependent sensitivity of commonly used force-based assessments remains unclear.

The purpose of this randomized crossover trial is to compare the time-course sensitivity of the countermovement jump (CMJ), isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), and isometric hamstring 90-90 (IH90-90) tests for detecting neuromuscular fatigue following a standardized soccer-specific fatigue protocol (T-SAFT90) in trained young male soccer players.

Eighteen trained male soccer players participate in the study. Neuromuscular performance is assessed before exercise, immediately after exercise, and at 24 and 48 hours following the fatigue protocol. The study evaluates changes in peak force and rapid force production characteristics obtained from single-joint and multi-joint isometric assessments, together with CMJ performance variables.

Participants complete the T-SAFT90 protocol designed to simulate the physiological and mechanical demands of competitive soccer activity. Following the protocol, participants perform a series of neuromuscular performance assessments across multiple recovery time points.

The study aims to determine which assessments are most sensitive for detecting acute and residual fatigue and whether single-joint and multi-joint force assessments demonstrate different recovery profiles. The findings may contribute to improved fatigue-monitoring strategies in soccer and assist practitioners in managing recovery and injury risk during periods of high training and match density.

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.
18

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 (Türkiye)
    • Yeşilköy Mahallesi
      • Istanbul, Yeşilköy Mahallesi, Turkey (Türkiye), 34140
        • İstanbul Gelisim 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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male soccer players aged 18-22 years Minimum of 3 years of active licensed soccer experience Minimum of 2 years of resistance training experience Classified as trained/development-level athletes Free from current musculoskeletal injury at the time of participation

Exclusion Criteria:

History of lower-extremity injury resulting in absence from training for longer than 1 month within the previous 3 months Use of caffeine, alcohol, or nutritional supplements during the study period Participation in heavy physical activity outside the experimental protocol during the study period Failure to maintain regular training routines during the study period

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group 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: T-SAFT90 Fatigue Protocol
Participants completed a standardized soccer-specific fatigue protocol followed by neuromuscular performance assessments performed before exercise, immediately post-exercise, and 24 and 48 hours after exercise.
Behavioral: T-SAFT90 Protocol
A standardized soccer-specific fatigue protocol designed to simulate the physiological and mechanical demands of competitive soccer activity.

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
Hamstring Peak Force IMTP Peak Force CMJ parametres (Jump Height, time to take off)
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately post-exercise, 24 hours post-exercise, and 48 hours post-exercise
Peak forces measured during the isometric hamstring 90-90 and IMTP (isometric mid-thigh pull)test following a standardized soccer-specific fatigue protocol.
Baseline, immediately post-exercise, 24 hours post-exercise, and 48 hours post-exercise

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.
Istanbul Gelisim University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Kırıkkale University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

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.
June 15, 2025

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.
August 30, 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.
September 30, 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).
May 29, 2026

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.
May 29, 2026

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.
June 3, 2026

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.
June 3, 2026

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.
May 29, 2026

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.
June 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.
  • 2025.04.31

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data may be shared upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, in accordance with institutional policies and participant confidentiality requirements.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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