NCT07193108

The 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test Provides Superior Sport-Specific Sensitivity to Treadmill Testing in Elite Female Footballers

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (actual)
• Sponsor: Gümüşhane Universıty · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study compares the acute aerobic, metabolic, and threshold-related physiological responses elicited by the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT) and a treadmill-based incremental running test in elite female football players. Using a randomized crossover design, all participants completed both testing protocols with a 48-hour recovery period. Outcomes included maximal oxygen uptake, maximal running speed, heart rate responses, lactate-derived thresholds, metabolic tolerance indices, and recovery markers.

Detailed description

Laboratory-based treadmill tests are commonly used to assess aerobic capacity in football players; however, they lack sport-specific characteristics such as intermittent running, accelerations, and changes of direction. The 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT) has been proposed as a more ecologically valid field-based alternative. Twenty-seven elite female football players competing in the Turkish Women's Super League completed both the 30-15IFT and a standardized treadmill incremental protocol in a randomized crossover design. Tests were separated by 48 hours and performed under controlled environmental conditions. Physiological variables including VO₂max, maximal running speed, maximal heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio, lactate-derived thresholds (OBLA), metabolic load-dependent tolerance, and post-exercise recovery markers were assessed using breath-by-breath gas analysis, heart rate monitoring, and capillary blood lactate sampling. The study aims to determine whether the 30-15IFT elicits more sensitive and sport-specific physiological responses compared with treadmill testing, thereby supporting its use in performance monitoring and individualized training prescription in elite women's football.

Conditions

• Change in Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO₂Max)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test	Participants performed the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test consisting of 30-second running bouts interspersed with 15-second passive recovery periods, with progressive increases in running speed until volitional exhaustion.
OTHER	Control	Inspiratory Muscle Warm-Up Non-treated group, Control

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-03-05
• Primary completion: 2025-03-15
• Completion: 2025-05-20
• First posted: 2025-09-25
• Last updated: 2026-02-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)