Impact of Respiratory Training on Reaction Time and Other Performance Components in Young Football Players.

The Impact of Respiratory Training on Reaction Time and Other Components of Performance in Young Football Players.

The overall aim of the study is to gain knowledge about the impact of respiratory training on reaction time and other components of performance in young football players.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Football Players; Training Efficiency; Training Effectiveness
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Respiratory training

Detailed Description

The specific aims of the study are to answer whether physical training extended with respiratory exercises increases reaction time, agility, speed and endurance in young football players. An application goal of the study is to gain knowledge whether physical training supplemented with breathing exercises improve reaction time, agility, speed, and exercise capacity in young football players.

The study will include 50 healthy football players aged 13 to 15 (born in 2011-2013), who have been playing football for at least two years and are members of the MTS Rybnik Football Academy.

After obtaining written consent to participate in the study and meeting the inclusion criteria all participants will be assigned to the experimental group and the control group (25 people in each group).

Randomization will be conducted using sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes (SNOSE).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Anna Polak, Prof.; Phone Number: 32 207 51 00; Email: a.polak@awf.katowice.pl
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Laura Piejko, PT, PhD; Phone Number: 32 207 51 10; Email: l.piejko@awf.katowice.pl

Study Locations

• Poland
  • Silesian Voivodeship
    • Katowice, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, 40-065
      • Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice
      • Contact: Anna Polak, Prof.; Phone Number: 32 207 51 00; Email: a.polak@awf.katowice.pl
      • Principal Investigator: Anna Polak, Prof.
    • Rybnik, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, 44-200
      • MTS Rybnik Football Academy in Rybnik

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria 50 healthy boys aged 13-15 (born between 2011 and 2013) who:

• are training in football for at least 2 years;
• have a valid medical clearance to practice football,
• nave an active membership in the MTS Rybnik Football Academy,
• have parental/caregiver consent for the participation in the study,
• give an informed consent to participate in the study,
• did not participate in respiratory or other breathing training over the past year,
• are attending the training sessions during the 6 months prior to the study at a level of at least 80% of scheduled hours.

Exclusion Criteria:

• no valid medical clearance to practice football,
• currently occurring acute (including respiratory infections) or chronic diseases that may affect sport endurance and safety of training,
• musculoskeletal injuries requiring treatment or limiting participation in football training, sustained within the 6 months prior to participation in the study,
• illnesses requiring hospitalization within the 6 months prior to participation in the study,
• neurological or musculoskeletal conditions requiring physiotherapy within the 6 months prior to participation in the study,
• diagnosed respiratory diseases (e.g., pharmacologically uncontrolled asthma), cardiovascular diseases, or other conditions constituting a contraindication to sports and physical exertion,
• contraindications to performing breathing and respiratory exercises, such as: a tendency toward hyperventilation, dizziness during breathing exercises, or recent chest injuries.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control group N=25; A standard football football training will be carried out at the MTS Football Academy in Rybnik, Poland in accordance with the applicable training program for the given age category. The training will include technical, tactical, and general development exercises, including elements of speed, agility, coordination and endurance training, carried out in the form of individual and team exercises and task games. The intensity and volume of training will be adapted to age, level of advancement and current stage of the season training. + 4-week follow-up
Experimental: Experimental group N= 25 with respiratory training; A standard football training will be carried out at the MTS Football Academy in Rybnik, Poland. In the experimental group, respiratory training will also be implemented. This training will be supplementary, low-intensity and will provide relaxation. It will not interfere with the main and total training load of the athletes. Exercises will be conducted for 4 weeks, 3 times per week, immediately after the football training unit. Each breathing training session will last about 20 minutes and will be performed in a supine position, in conditions conducive to relaxation and concentration on breathing. Respiratory training will be introduced progressively, taking into account the gradual adaptation of athletes to the exercises.	Other: Respiratory training; Week 1 Relaxation exercises using gentle diaphragmatic breathing, learning the correct diaphragmatic breathing, elements of prolonged exhalation exercises, final relaxation. Week 2 The session will be extended with diaphragmatic breathing with a gradual increase in resistance, achieved by controlled increase of resistance of the abdominal tissues and short rest phases between exercises. Week 3 and 4 The respiratory training will be supplemented with: diaphragmatic breathing with resistance manually dosed by the supervising physiotherapist, through a gentle, controlled pressure on the abdomen during the inhalation phase, exercises aimed at activating the lower ribs muscles activity, short elements of chest breathing as a supplementary exercise, final relaxation. The protocol is based on methods used in respiratory training in clinical studies involving athletes, including young soccer players with a proven beneficial effect on exercise capacity and fatigue tolerance. +4-week follow-up

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Reaction time test using BlazePod sensors	Reaction time test using BlazePod sensors - assessment of selective reaction time. Rapid visuomotor reaction is an important element of football, in which the player makes decisions in dynamically changing field conditions [Nakamoto, Mori 2008]. To assess the reaction time, the BlazePod light-sensor system will be used, which enables an objective measurement of reaction speed to randomly appearing visual stimuli and is widely used in sports training. Sensors will be placed on the ground, and the subject's task will be to touch the randomly illuminated sensor as quickly as possible. Each player will perform five assessments, and for statistical analysis the mean of the three best results will be used.	From enrollment to the end of treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks
T-Drill Test	T-Drill Test - assessment of agility and speed of change of direction of movement The T-Drill Test is a commonly used tool for assessing agility, acceleration, and the ability to quickly change the direction of movement in team sports, including soccer [Pauole et al. 2000]. Four cones will be set up in the shape of the letter "T". The player starts from a standing position at the central point, runs forward for a distance of 10 meters, then performs lateral movements to the left and to the right, returns to the center, and runs backward to the starting location. Time measurement will be carried out using an electronic stopwatch or photogates. Each player will perform two trial runs and then two proper trials; for statistical analysis the best obtained result will be used.	From enrollment to the end of treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks
Sprint over 30 meters	Sprint over 30 meters - assessment of running speed Running over a distance of 30 meters is a standard method for assessing speed and acceleration ability, constituting an important predictor of the effectiveness of offensive and defensive football playing [Haugen et al. 2012]. Time measurement will be conducted over a 30-meter section. The player will start the run from a standing position. Running time will be measured using photogates or an electronic stopwatch. The test will be performed twice, and for statistical analysis the best of the obtained times will be considered.	From enrollment to the end of treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks
Yo-Yo IR1 Test	Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (Yo-Yo IR1) - assessment of exercise capacity The Yo-Yo IR1 Test is a widely used and well described in the literature tool for assessing aerobic and anaerobic capacity in intermittent sports, such as football [Bangsbo et al. 2008]. The test allows assessing the ability to perform repeated high-intensity efforts and the effectiveness of recovery between them. The player performs shuttle runs between lines spaced 20 meters apart, accordingto the pace set by an audio signal. After each double shuttle run (2 x 20 m), a short active break is performed, including a jog over a distance of 5 meters and a return to the start line. The test is ended at the moment when the athlete is unable to reach the line twice within the allotted time. Test will be conducted one time.	From enrollment to the end of treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice
• Collaborators: MTS Rybnik Football Academy, Kilinskiego 33b Street, 44-200 Rybnik, Poland
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Anna Polak, Prof., The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 27, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 27, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 30, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 27, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: reaction time; football players; soccer players; repiratory training
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Therapeutics; Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities; Breathing Exercises
• Other Study ID Numbers: Resolution no. 01/03/2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

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