Baseline Neuromuscular Performance and Responses to a Simulated Match in Young Athletes (SIMMATCH-NM)

November 6, 2026 updated by: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür EKEN, Inonu University

Predictive Power of Baseline Neuromuscular Performance Characteristics for Physiological and Perceptual Responses After a Simulated Match in Young Athletes

This study looks at whether the physical fitness of young judo athletes before a match can help predict how their bodies and effort perception respond after a match. Judo matches are short, intense and tiring. After a match, athletes show higher blood lactate (a marker of intense effort), weaker grip strength and lower jump height. Not much is known about whether baseline tests of core endurance, throwing power, speed, agility and force-velocity profile can predict these changes in young athletes. Male judo athletes aged 10-13 years will complete these baseline tests in one session and then take part in one 3-minute simulated judo match with a training partner of similar body mass. Blood lactate, vertical jump height and grip strength will be measured before and right after the match, and athletes will rate how hard the match felt. The study will examine how the changes after the match relate to the baseline test results. The findings may help coaches monitor training load and plan conditioning for young judo athletes.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

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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

Judo is a high-intensity intermittent combat sport. Matches produce marked blood lactate accumulation, loss of handgrip strength, and reduced lower-body power. Baseline physical profiling is widely used to monitor athletic development, but its ability to predict individual physiological and perceptual responses to a judo match in young athletes is not well understood.

This is a single-group, pre-post study. Fifteen male judo athletes aged 10-13 years will be recruited in Malatya, Turkey. Written informed consent will be obtained from parents or legal guardians, and assent from participants. About one week before testing, participants are familiarized with the procedures and the Borg 6-20 rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale. Participants avoid high-intensity training, caffeine and ergogenic supplements for 48 hours before testing. Testing takes place in a climate-controlled hall (20-22 °C).

Test day: After anthropometric measurements, baseline profiling is performed: McGill core endurance tests (trunk flexion, trunk extension, right and left lateral bridge), a 2-kg backward overhead medicine ball throw, a 20-m sprint, the pro-agility test, and a force-velocity profile using Samozino's field method (MyJump2 app, 240 fps video). After a standardized 10-minute warm-up (low-intensity jogging, dynamic stretching, breakfalls), pre-match measures are taken: blood lactate (finger-prick capillary sample, single-use lancet), countermovement jump height (contact mat) and handgrip strength (hand dynamometer).

Athletes then complete one 3-minute simulated judo match (randori) under International Judo Federation rules with a training partner of similar body mass (±5 kg), supervised by a coach. Immediately afterwards, blood lactate, jump height, grip strength and RPE are measured in this order within about 3 minutes.

Pre- and post-match values are compared with paired-samples t-tests (Cohen's d). Change scores (post minus pre) for lactate, jump height and grip strength, and RPE, are related to baseline variables using Pearson correlation and simple linear regression. The sample size (minimum 15) was calculated with G*Power for a paired t-test (d = 0.80, alpha = 0.05, power = 0.80).

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 (Estimated)

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.
15

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 Contact

Study Contact

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Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Malatya
      • Malatya, Malatya, Turkey (Türkiye), 44280
        • Department of Physical Education and Sport Teaching, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Inonu University,
        • Contact:

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

10 years to 13 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Actively competing judo athlete in Malatya, Turkey
  • Male, aged 10-13 years
  • At least 2 years of regular judo training and competition experience
  • At least four structured technical-tactical training sessions per week
  • No limiting musculoskeletal injury in the last 6 months
  • No musculoskeletal, cardiometabolic, or neurological condition that could prevent testing
  • Willing to participate in all planned tests
  • Written informed consent signed by parent or legal guardian, and assent from the participant

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Younger than 10 or older than 13 years
  • Musculoskeletal injury or surgery within the last 6 months
  • Musculoskeletal, cardiometabolic, or neurological condition that could prevent testing
  • Open wound, varicose veins, acute inflammation, or history of thrombosis
  • Regular use of analgesic or anti-inflammatory medication or ergogenic supplements in the last 3 months
  • Unable to attend all planned testing sessions
  • Unwilling to follow the pre-test rules (no high-intensity training, caffeine or ergogenic supplements for 48 hours; usual diet, hydration and rest)
  • Withdrawal during the study due to non-compliance, incomplete sessions, acute injury during the simulated match, serious illness, or participant request

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: Young Judo Athletes

Male judo athletes aged 10-13 years complete baseline physical profiling, followed by one standardized 3-minute simulated judo match. Blood lactate, jump height, grip strength and perceived exertion are measured before and immediately after the match.
Other: Simulated Judo Match

One 3-minute simulated judo match (randori) performed under International Judo Federation rules against a training partner of similar body mass (±5 kg), supervised by a coach. Athletes are instructed to fight at maximal competitive intensity.

Other Names:
  • Randori
Diagnostic test: Baseline Physical Performance Profiling

McGill core endurance tests, 2-kg backward overhead medicine ball throw, 20-m sprint, pro-agility test and force-velocity profile (Samozino's field method). Followed by pre- and post-match measures of blood lactate, countermovement jump height, handgrip strength and rating of perceived exertion.

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
Change in Blood Lactate Concentration After a Simulated Judo Match
Time Frame: Immediately before and within 3 minutes after the simulated match (single test session)

Change (post-match minus pre-match) in capillary blood lactate concentration (mmol/L), measured from a finger-prick sample with a portable lactate analyzer. The relationship of this change with baseline physical performance variables is also analyzed.
Immediately before and within 3 minutes after the simulated match (single test session)
Change in Countermovement Jump Height After a Simulated Judo Match
Time Frame: Immediately before and within 3 minutes after the simulated match (single test session)

Change (post-match minus pre-match) in maximal isometric handgrip strength (kg) of the dominant hand, measured with a hand dynamometer (best of two trials).
Immediately before and within 3 minutes after the simulated match (single test session)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) After a Simulated Judo Match
Time Frame: Within 30 seconds after the simulated match (single test session)

Perceived effort of the simulated match rated on the Borg 6-20 RPE scale (6 = no exertion, 20 = maximal exertion).
Within 30 seconds after the simulated match (single test session)
Change in Handgrip Strength After a Simulated Judo Match
Time Frame: Immediately before and within 3 minutes after the simulated match (single test session)

Change (post-match minus pre-match) in maximal isometric handgrip strength (kg) of the dominant hand, measured with a hand dynamometer (best of two trials).
Immediately before and within 3 minutes after the simulated match (single test session)

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.
Inonu University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Özgür Eken, PhD, Assoc. Prof., Inonu University, Faculty of Sport Sciences
  • Study Director: Denizhan Caliskan, Eskisehir Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, Eskisehir, Türkiye

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 (Estimated)

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.
January 11, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
February 11, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
February 11, 2027

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).
November 2, 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.
November 6, 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.
November 12, 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.
November 12, 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.
November 6, 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.
November 1, 2026

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.
  • INONU-SIMMATCH-2026-02
  • SIMMATCH-2026 (Other Identifier: Inonu University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared, because participants are minors and the consent forms state that data will be used only for the purposes of this research and kept confidential. Aggregate results will be published.

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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