Football 4 Health in Middle-aged to Older Adults

Ten Weeks of Recreational Football Training in 55- to 70-year-old Adults: Effects on Muscle Power, Functional Capacity, Body Composition and Endurance Exercise Capacity

Ageing in humans is accompanied by a progressive decline in lower-limb muscle power production. In addition to a decline in musculoskeletal fitness, ageing is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular and metabolic fitness. Therefore, if exercise interventions aim for a high impact on the overall health status of middle-aged and older adults, they should combine endurance, high-intensity interval training and muscular strengthening activities. Recreational football training combines all these training components, which implies that it could constitute an adequate training modality for participants of all ages. What remains to be investigated in more detail, is whether recreational football training can improve muscle power production in middle-aged to older adults and whether this potential improvement is present across the full force-velocity (F-V) profile. Next to a detailed analysis of the leg-extensor F-V profile as primary outcome, simultaneous effects on functional capacity, body composition and endurance exercise capacity were investigated. In addition, feasibility and the physical demands (internal and external load indicators) of the training program were tracked throughout the intervention period.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Exercise Training
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Football training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Leuven, Belgium, 3001
    • Department of Movement Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years to 70 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unstable cardiovascular disease
• Neurological disorders
• Cognitive malfunctioning
• Acute infections or fever
• Severe musculoskeletal problems
• Systematic engagement in (resistance) exercise in the 12 months prior to participation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: PREVENTION
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Football training; 10-week football training program with small-sided games, 2x/week, 45min-1h	Other: Football training; 10-week progressive football training with small-sided games, 2x/week, 45min-1h sessions
NO_INTERVENTION: Control; No intervention, no changes in lifestyle and diet

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximal power	Force-velocity profiling is carried out unilaterally (dominant leg) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press CC, HUR, Kokkola, Finland). The test protocol consists of a maximal isometric test (knee joint angle = 85°, hip angle = 55°; 3 attempts of 3s), followed by explosive concentric leg extensions at gradually increasing loads (unloaded, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% of the maximal isometric force, 2-3 attempts per load, and additional single repetitions until one-repetition maximum is reached). Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced adaptations. Maximal power is used for the analyses.	Time Frame: Change from baseline in maximal power (watt) at 12 weeks
Maximal force	Force-velocity profiling is carried out unilaterally (dominant leg) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press CC, HUR, Kokkola, Finland). The test protocol consists of a maximal isometric test (knee joint angle = 85°, hip angle = 55°; 3 attempts of 3s), followed by explosive concentric leg extensions at gradually increasing loads (unloaded, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% of the maximal isometric force, 2-3 attempts per load, and additional single repetitions until one-repetition maximum is reached). Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced adaptations. Maximal force is used for the analyses.	Time Frame: Change from baseline in maximal force (N) at 12 weeks
Maximal velocity	Force-velocity profiling is carried out unilaterally (dominant leg) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press CC, HUR, Kokkola, Finland). The test protocol consists of a maximal isometric test (knee joint angle = 85°, hip angle = 55°; 3 attempts of 3s), followed by explosive concentric leg extensions at gradually increasing loads (unloaded, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% of the maximal isometric force, 2-3 attempts per load, and additional single repetitions until one-repetition maximum is reached). Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced adaptations. Maximal velocity is used for the analyses.	Time Frame: Change from baseline in maximal velocity (m/s) at 12 weeks
Slope of F-V profile	Force-velocity profiling is carried out unilaterally (dominant leg) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press CC, HUR, Kokkola, Finland). The test protocol consists of a maximal isometric test (knee joint angle = 85°, hip angle = 55°; 3 attempts of 3s), followed by explosive concentric leg extensions at gradually increasing loads (unloaded, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% of the maximal isometric force, 2-3 attempts per load, and additional single repetitions until one-repetition maximum is reached). Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced adaptations. The equation's slope is used for the analyses.	Time Frame: Change from baseline in the slope of F-V profile at 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Exercise adherence	Number of sessions attended as a percentage of total sessions planned	Total adherence over 10-week period
Enjoyment	Question: 'How much did you enjoy the training program?' Answer: 11-point Likert scale (0 = 'not at all...' to 10 = 'very...'	within 1 week post-intervention
Score on feasibility questionnaire	Question: 'How feasible was the training program for you?' Answer: 11-point Likert scale (0 = 'not at all...' to 10 = 'very...'	within 1 week post-intervention
Future intention to participate	Question: 'How high is the chance that you subscribe for a new sequence of training sessions?' Answer: 11-point Likert scale (0 = 'not at all...' to 10 = 'very...'	within 1 week post-intervention
External load: total distance	Total distance covered per training session, measured by means of GPS metrics	Average calculated over 10-week period
External load: meters in speed zones	Total meters in different speed zones per training session, measured by means of GPS metrics	Average calculated over 10-week period
Internal load: time in speed zones	Total time in different speed zones per training session, measured by means of GPS metrics	Average calculated over 10-week period
External load: number of accelerations	Number of accelerations (> 2m/s²), measured by means of GPS metrics	Average calculated over 10-week period
External load: number of decelerations	Number of decelerations (< -2m/s²), measured by means of GPS metrics	Average calculated over 10-week period
Internal load: average heart rate	Average heart rate (percent of heart rate max) during training session, measured by means of heart rate sensor	Average calculated over 10-week period
Internal load: time in heart rate zone	Total time in different heart rate zones per training session, measured by means of heart rate sensor	Average calculated over 10-week period
Gait speed	The average speed to walk 10m as fast as possible (in m/s)	Change from baseline in gait speed at 10 weeks
Countermovement jump height	Jump height (cm) in a countermovement jump	Change from baseline in countermovement jump height at 10 weeks
Timed up and go	Time (in s) needed to stand up from a chair, walk 3 m, turn, walk back and sit down again (as fast as possible)	Change from baseline in timed up and go time at 10 weeks
5-repetition sit-to-stand time	The time (s) needed to perform 5 sit-to-stand transitions.	Change from baseline in sit-to-stand performance at 10 weeks
5-repetition sit-to-stand power	The power (watt) needed to perform 5 sit-to-stand transitions.	Change from baseline in sit-to-stand performance at 10 weeks
Stair ascent time	The time (s) needed to ascend a flight of stairs.	Change from baseline in stair climbing performance at 10 weeks
Stair ascent power	The power (watt) needed to ascend a flight of stairs.	Change from baseline in stair climbing performance at 10 weeks
Body fat percentage	Percentage of body fat, measured with bio-electrical impedance analysis	Change from baseline in body fat percentage at 10 weeks
Skeletal muscle mass	Skeletal muscle mass, estimated with bio-electrical impedance analysis	Change from baseline in skeletal muscle mass at 10 weeks
Running speed at 2mM lactate	Endurance exercise capacity test on treadmill: running speed at 2mM lactate value	Change from baseline in running speed at 10 weeks
Running speed at 4mM lactate	Endurance exercise capacity test on treadmill: running speed at 4mM lactate value	Change from baseline in running speed at 10 weeks
Rate of perceived exertion (RPE)	RPE of the common highest intensity block, completed in the pre- as well as post-intervention test (i.e., values at the same speed level in both tests)	Change from baseline in RPE at 10 weeks
Lactate value	Lactate value of the common highest intensity block, completed in the pre- as well as post-intervention test (i.e., values at the same speed level in both tests)	Change from baseline in lactate at 10 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: KU Leuven

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): February 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): July 15, 2021
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): July 15, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 20, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 31, 2023
• First Posted (ACTUAL): February 10, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): February 10, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 31, 2023
• Last Verified: January 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: S64926

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No