Young Age Soccer Player's Lower Limb Muscle Imbalance and Functional Status

The Effect of Eccentric Exercises on Lower Limb Muscle Imbalances and Functional Status of Young Female Football Players

A randomized controlled trial is designed to examine the effects of low-load and high-velocity eccentric exercises on lower limb muscular properties, imbalances and functional status of 13-15 years old female football players.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise

Detailed Description

Twenty participants were included in the study. All participants were divided in two groups - control and experimental. In the experimental group (n=10) participants after team soccer training additional received 4 weeks eccentric exercises, in the control group (n=10) - did not perform additional exercises. The research group performed additional low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Pre- and post- training assessment included concentric/eccentric knee extension and flexion at 60°/s and 120°/s, changes in muscle contractile characteristics and dynamic balance.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Lithuania
  • Kaunas, Lithuania, 44221
    • Lithuanian Sports University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy players able to participate in training and competitions.
• Playing football for at least 2 years.
• Regularly participating in team training, 2-3 times a week.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Female soccer players with a lower extremity injury (in a period of 6 months)
• Pain is less than 2 points on the Visual Analog Pain Scale.
• Irregular exercise
• The number of years of training attended is too low

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control group; Control group will be asked to maintain their usual lifestyle.
Experimental: Experimental group; The research group performed additional low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise 3 times per week for 4 weeks. 12 sessions in total.	Behavioral: Low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise; Low-load and high-velocity - lying prone - eccentric hamstring exercise 3 times per week for 4 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in isokinetic peak torque (with Biodex)	Knee extension/flexion isokinetic peak torque measurements will be done at 60°/s, 120°/s	Baseline and after 4 weeks
Dynamic balance	Y-balance Test evaluates lower extremity strength, knee stability and dynamic balance in anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral direction. For each direction, three practice trials were allowed before three test trials were recorded. Mean reach distances (cm) was normalized to leg length, which was measured from the anterior superior iliac spine to the most distal portion of the medial malleolus.	Baseline and after 4 weeks
Changes in muscle contractile characteristics (with tensiomyography (TMG))	Muscle involuntary contractile characteristics of the lower-limb muscles-the rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), semitendinosus (ST), tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL)-will be recorded by measuring the response of these muscles to an induced electric stimulus (provoked by two self-adhesive electrodes) using TMG equipment on both the left and right lower extremities.	Baseline and after 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Lithuanian Sports University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Dovile Kiele, PhD, Lithuanian Sports University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): May 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 19, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 19, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): September 26, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 28, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 26, 2023
• Last Verified: September 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Dynamic balance; Young age soccer player; Eccentric hamstring exercise; Contractile muscle properties
• Other Study ID Numbers: LithuananianSportsU-15

Drug and device information, study documents

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