Eccentric and Trunk Stability Exercise Program Effects in Young Soccer Players
Condition: Muscle Strength; Postural Balance
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of an in-season mixed training
      program on several physiological parameters of soccer players. Twenty-one U19 elite soccer
      players recruited and randomly assigned to either an 8-week specific training experimental
      group or a control group. The program will include an eccentric hamstring exercise, static
      balance exercises and core muscles strengthening exercises. Isokinetic hamstring and
      quadriceps strength, single leg static balance and lumbopelvic stability will be measured
      prior and after the intervention.
    

Detailed description: 
      A total of 123 male Under-19 (U19) players from several soccer teams were initially invited
      for participation in the study after signing informed consent forms. following a second
      contact with the participants, questionnaire forms with inclusion and exclusion criteria were
      send for completion.

      Based on their self-report and a clinical examination by a health professional, of the 103
      players, 42 did not meet the inclusion criteria, while 12 players did not participate for
      personal reasons. Of the remaining 69 players, 48 players were excluded, including 3 players
      reporting an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, 14 because of lower extremity injury
      led to more than two weeks absence from training and 10 players because of secondary injuries
      or health problems that led to loss of training the past 3 months.

      A neutral, blinded investigator with no further involvement in the study was responsible for
      randomized allocation of participants in two groups. All training sessions in the training
      group will be supervised by a fitness coach, who will ensure that the exercises are performed
      according to protocol.
    

Intervention name(s): Sliding leg curl; Balance training; Core stability
Intervention type(s): Other; Other; Other
Intervention description(s): The exercise protocol consists of the following sets and repetitions Week 1- 2 sessions with 2 sets of 6 repetitions Week 2- 2 sessions with 3 sets of 6 repetitions Week 3- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 6 repetitions Week 4- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 8 repetitions Week 5- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 10 repetitions Week 6- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 10 repetitions Week 7- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 8 repetitions Week 8- 2 sessions with 4 sets of 8 repetitions; The exercise protocol consists of 2 sessions/week with 4 sets of 30'' single stance.
Week 1 and 2- 1 set of 30'' single leg stance and 3 sets of 30'' single leg stance and ball kicks with contralateral foot Week 3 and 4- 2 sets of 30'' single leg stance while moving the ball around the leg with the contralateral foot and 2 sets of 30'' single leg stance, moving a ball around the knee with hands and kicking a ball with contralateral foot Week 5 and 6- 2 sets of 30'' single leg stance while giving and receiving hand passes with medicine ball (in couples) and 2 sets of 30'' single leg stance with perturbations (in couples) Week 7 and 8- Same as week 5 and 6 with extra 15" in each repetition; The exercise protocol consists of the following sets and repetitions Week 1 and 2- 3 sets of 30'' front plank, 3 sets of 20'' side plank, 2 sets of 30'' superman, 2 sets of 30'' supine bridge and 2 sets of 10 repetitions leg lowering exercise Week 3 and 4- increasing difficulty in 2 of the sets Week 5 and 6- adding 1 more set at each exercise Week 7 and 8- adding 15" in each repetition
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Primary purpose: Basic Science