Clinical trial NCT06546605: A Randomized Crossover Study on Diverse Training Methods to Enhance University Athletes' Performance and Health
Official title: Evaluating the Effects of Diverse Training Methods on Athletic Performance and Health: A Randomized Crossover Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Athletic Performance
Plyometric Exercise
Healthy
Keywords: Plyometric Training
Functional Training
Whole-Body Electrical Muscle Stimulation (WB-EMS)
Injury Prevention
Randomized Crossover Study
Athletic Performance
Functional Movement Skills
Lead sponsor: University of Macau
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-08-09
Enrollment: 120
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 30
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The goal of this randomized crossover study is to investigate the effects of plyometric training, functional training, and whole-body electrical muscle stimulation (WB-EMS) on athletic performance and health in university basketball and volleyball players. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Which training modality (plyometric, functional, or WB-EMS) leads to the greatest improvements in athletic performance measures such as power, speed, and agility?
2. How do these training modalities compare in terms of their effects on overall health, injury risk reduction, and psychological well-being?

Researchers will use a crossover design, where each participant experiences multiple training modalities in a sequential manner, to provide a more rigorous and comprehensive evaluation of the interventions' effectiveness.

Participants will:

1. Be randomly assigned to one of four training sequences, each consisting of two 8-week intervention periods separated by a 4-week washout phase;
2. Experience at least two of the three training modalities (plyometric, functional, or WB-EMS) during the intervention periods;
3. Maintain their regular training routines if assigned to the control group;
4. Undergo assessments, including anthropometric measurements, physical fitness tests, and questionnaires, at baseline, after each intervention period, and during a follow-up session.

The findings of this study will provide valuable insights into the optimal sequencing and combination of training modalities to maximize athletic performance and promote health among university basketball and volleyball players.

Detailed description: Background: Enhancing athletic performance and reducing injury risk require effective training techniques. University athletes, often practicing only 2-3 times a week, need support to reach optimal fitness. This study examines the effects of plyometric, functional, and WB-EMS training on the health and performance of collegiate basketball and volleyball players.

Objective: The primary aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of these training modalities in improving athletic performance metrics such as strength, speed, agility, and endurance. Secondary aims include determining their influence on recovery and injury prevention and exploring potential differences in response among athletes from different sports disciplines.

Study Design: This is a randomized crossover study. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of four groups: plyometric training, WB-EMS training, functional training, or control group. The intervention will consist of two 8-week training periods separated by a 4-week washout period.

Participants: 120 male and female basketball and volleyball players aged 18-30 from University teams in Macau will be recruited. They should have at least 3-4 years of competitive experience in their respective sports.

Interventions: The plyometric group will focus on explosive movements and jumps. The WB-EMS group will perform exercises while receiving electrical stimulation. The functional training group will engage in sport-specific exercises. The control group will maintain their regular training. Each session will include a warm-up, specific exercises, and a cool-down.

Outcome Measures: Participants will undergo assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up. These include anthropometric measurements, physical fitness tests (e.g., Y-Balance Test, FMS, 1RM half-squat, leg muscle volume, vertical jump, agility, sprint), and questionnaires (e.g., ERQ, PSQI, SES, SWLS).

Statistical Analysis: Mixed-design ANOVA or ANCOVA will compare the effects across time points. Post-hoc tests will determine specific differences between groups and time points. Significance will be set at p value smaller than 0.05.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Team Membership: Participants must be officially registered members of the Macau universities' 's men's and women's basketball or volleyball teams.
2. Age Range: Participants must be aged between 18 and 30 years.
3. Health Status: Participants should be in good health, free from any chronic diseases, serious health conditions, or contraindications that could impair their athletic performance, preclude their safe participation in the study, or present undue risks when exposed to WB-EMS. Participants must provide informed consent and be willing to undergo WB-EMS training after being fully apprised of the potential risks and benefits.
4. Commitment: Participants must be able to engage fully in the intervention period and all associated assessments.
5. Experience: Participants are required to have a minimum of three to four years of competitive basketball or volleyball experience.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Unable to provide informed consent.
2. Unwillingness to be allocated to one of the four groups.
3. Have suffered a lower extremity injury or required surgery within the past 6 months.
4. Have undergone electrical stimulation training for the previous six months.
5. Have been diagnosed with a cardiovascular or neurological disease or abnormality.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Squat Jump (SJ) Test
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Countermovement Jump（CMJ）
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Running Jump Off Test
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Modified 505 Change of Direction Test
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Sprint 4 × 5 m Test
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Modified Agility T-Test (MAT)
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Functional Movement Screening (FMS)
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Y balance test (YBT)
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Self-Efficacy Scale (SES)
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
measure: Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8weeks for phase 2）
measure: Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ)
timeFrame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 20 weeks（8 weeks for phase 1,4 weeks for wash out and 8 weeks for phase 2）
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Macau
country: Macau
facility: UM Sports Complex (N8) , Avenida da Universidade Taipa, Macau, China
city: Taipa
country: Macau
facility: University of Macau
Study officials:
References: