Injury Risks Among Acrobatic Gymnastics in Relation to Balance Training (ACRO-GYM)

November 6, 2026 updated by: Istanbul Galata University

Evaluation of the Injury Risks Among Acrobatic Gymnastics in Relation to Dynamic and Static Balance Training

The goal of this observational study is to understand how injury risk is related to dynamic and static balance, foot posture, training characteristics, and sleep quality in competitive acrobatic gymnasts of different ages, sexes, categories, and positions (base, middle, top). The main questions it aims to answer are:

Do acute and overuse injury occurrence and severity differ by age, sex, acrobatic category, and position in the pyramid?

Are injury risks associated with balance performance, foot posture index, overuse injury questionnaire scores, and sleep quality scores?

Participants will:

Complete online questionnaires including a sports injury/overuse questionnaire (OSTRC-O) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Provide information on age, sex, training history, acrobatic category and position, and previous injuries.

Undergo balance and foot posture assessments according to the study protocol.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

300

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 Locations

  • Bulgaria
      • Sofia, Bulgaria
        • Recruiting
        • The Bulgarian Federation of Sports Acrobatics and Gymnastics

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

11 years to 30 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Competitive acrobatic gymnasts training in clubs in Bulgaria, Italy, and other European countries will be included. Participants of both sexes across youth and adult age groups, actively training and competing in acrobatic gymnastics in base, middle, or top positions, will be recruited.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Competitive acrobatic gymnasts training at a club recognized by national or international federations in Bulgaria, Italy, and other European countries.
  • Age range 11 - 30 years old
  • Currently training regularly for at least 2 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Gymnasts unable to complete questionnaires or balance tests.
  • Acute medical conditions preventing participation.

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

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: CROSS_SECTIONAL

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC-O)
Time Frame: Baseline

Injury presence and severity over the last 12 months assessed by the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC-O); total score categorized as injury vs. no-injury (score >0 vs. 0). Used to evaluate Injury occurrence and severity in acrobatic gymnasts.
Baseline
Sociodemographic Assessment
Time Frame: Baseline

The athletes' age, sex, weight, height, sports history, daily and weekly training hours, number of years participating in this sport, history of physical/recreational activities, and social participation habits will be investigated using a specially designed questionnaire.
Baseline
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Time Frame: Baseline

Body mass index (BMI) will be calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters (kg/m²).
Baseline
6-item Foot Posture Index (FPI)
Time Frame: Baseline

Foot posture will be assessed using the 6-item Foot Posture Index (FPI), which scores each foot from -2 to +2 per item and yields a total score indicating supinated (negative values), neutral (0 to +5), or pronated (>+5) foot posture based on standardized photographs taken in relaxed standing.
Baseline
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Time Frame: Baseline

Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a 19-item self-report questionnaire that yields a total score from 0 to 21, where higher scores indicate worse sleep quality and scores above 5 reflect poor clinical sleep quality.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Istanbul Galata 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)

May 29, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 6, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 6, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 6, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ACRO-GYM-2026

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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