NCT05534191

Off-season Training Effects on U19 Soccer Players

Comparison of Functional and Traditional Strength and Power Training on U19 Soccer Players During Off-season in Norway: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 53 (actual)
• Sponsor: Aalborg University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 16 Years – 20 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate whether functional strength and power training or traditional strength and power training during the off-season can improve soccer-specific performance in trained male U19 Norwegian soccer players. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does functional training lead to greater improvements in technical soccer skills (passing, shooting, dribbling) compared to traditional training? Do both training modalities improve mobility, dynamic balance, sprint speed, change of direction, and jumping performance? Researchers will compare the functional training group, the traditional training group, and a control group to see if either training approach provides superior performance benefits. Participants will: Take part in an 8-week intervention. Complete two weekly strength sessions (functional or traditional depending on allocation). Attend two weekly soccer sessions during the first 4 weeks (all groups). Undergo a standardized test battery measuring mobility, balance, technical skills, sprinting, change of direction, and vertical jump before and after the intervention.

Conditions

• Soccer Performance

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Experimental, comparator and control	To quantify the effect of a strength intervention for footballers on improved range of motion, balance, speed, jump height, and technical football skills compared to a training group performing basic power exercises and machine-based strength training and a control group.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-09-01
• Primary completion: 2024-01-14
• Completion: 2024-01-14
• First posted: 2022-09-09
• Last updated: 2025-09-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Norway