Effects of Weekly Basketball Training Distribution on Executive Function in Adolescents (VMBT-EF)

July 31, 2026 updated by: Xiaodong Cheng, Xi'an Medical University

Effects of Volume-Matched Weekday-Distributed Versus Weekend-Concentrated Basketball Training on Executive Function in Adolescents: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

his study examined whether different ways of distributing the same weekly amount of basketball training affect executive function in adolescents. A total of 120 adolescents were randomly assigned to one of three groups: weekday-distributed basketball training, weekend-concentrated basketball training, or a control group that continued its usual activities.

Participants in both basketball training groups completed 180 minutes of training per week for 8 weeks. The weekday-distributed group trained for 36 minutes per session, five days per week, whereas the weekend-concentrated group trained for 90 minutes per session, two days per week. Executive function was assessed before and after the intervention.

The study aimed to determine whether basketball training improves executive function compared with usual activities and whether distributing the same weekly training volume across weekdays produces different effects from concentrating the training on weekends.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

120

Phase

  • 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

  • China
    • Shaanxi
      • Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, 710021
        • Xi'an Medical 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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 13 to 16 years at enrollment.
  • Enrolled in the participating local middle school.
  • Medically eligible to participate in moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise.
  • No systematic basketball or other sport-specific training during the 3 months before enrollment.
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and able to complete the computerized cognitive tasks.
  • Available to participate in the 8-week intervention and complete all scheduled assessments.
  • Written informed consent provided by a parent or legal guardian and assent provided by the participant.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any illness or musculoskeletal injury that could prevent safe participation in basketball training.
  • Current participation in another structured exercise, sport-specific training, or cognitive-training program.
  • Any visual, neurological, or other condition that could interfere with completion of the computerized cognitive tasks.
  • Medical advice or contraindications against participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise.

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: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Weekday-Distributed Basketball Training
Participants completed 180 minutes of basketball training per week for 8 weeks. The training was distributed across five weekday sessions, with each session lasting 36 minutes.
Behavioral: Weekday-Distributed Basketball Training
Participants completed basketball training five days per week for 8 weeks. Each session lasted 36 minutes, resulting in a total weekly training volume of 180 minutes.
Experimental: Weekend-Concentrated Basketball Training
Participants completed 180 minutes of basketball training per week for 8 weeks. The training was concentrated into two weekend sessions, with each session lasting 90 minutes.
Radiation: Weekend-Concentrated Basketball Training
Participants completed basketball training two days per week for 8 weeks. Each session lasted 90 minutes, resulting in a total weekly training volume of 180 minutes.
No Intervention: Usual Activity Control
Participants maintained their usual daily activities and received no additional structured basketball training during the 8-week study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline in Flanker Reaction-Time Interference Effect
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Inhibitory control was assessed using a computerized Flanker task at baseline and immediately after the intervention. The reaction-time interference effect was calculated as the mean reaction time for incongruent trials minus the mean reaction time for congruent trials and was expressed in milliseconds. Change from baseline was calculated as the post-intervention value minus the baseline value. Lower interference scores indicate better inhibitory control, and a negative change indicates improvement.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change From Baseline in 1-Back Task Accuracy
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Working memory was assessed using a computerized 1-back task at baseline and immediately after the intervention. Performance was measured as the percentage of correct responses, ranging from 0% to 100%. Change from baseline was calculated as the post-intervention accuracy minus the baseline accuracy. Higher accuracy scores indicate better working memory performance, and a positive change indicates improvement.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change From Baseline in More-Odd Shifting Task Switching Cost
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Cognitive flexibility was assessed using a computerized More-Odd Shifting task at baseline and immediately after the intervention. Switching cost was calculated as the mean reaction time for switch trials minus the mean reaction time for repeat trials and was expressed in milliseconds. Change from baseline was calculated as the post-intervention value minus the baseline value. Lower switching-cost values indicate better cognitive flexibility, and a negative change indicates improvement.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Xi'an Medical 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)

March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 31, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 31, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 31, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BBT-EF-001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data will not be shared because the study involved minors and the consent materials did not include authorization for sharing individual-level data beyond the original research purpose. Aggregate study results will be reported in scientific publications.

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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