NCT07314645

Strategic Daytime Napping Enhances Agility and Lowers Perceived Exertion But Does Not Improve Fatigue Resistance in Adolescent Soccer Players

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 16 (actual)
• Sponsor: Uludag University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 16 Years – 19 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Background Daytime napping is increasingly incorporated into athletic recovery routines to manage sleepiness and support alertness. However, the effects of different nap durations on high-intensity anaerobic performance tasks remain insufficiently characterized, particularly in team-sport settings. Nap duration and circadian timing may influence psychomotor readiness, perceived exertion, and fatigue-related responses, yet existing evidence is limited and inconsistent in adolescent athlete populations. This study is designed to examine the acute effects of two daytime nap durations within a controlled experimental framework. Methods This study will employ a randomized, crossover design involving sixteen competitive male adolescent soccer players classified as intermediate chronotypes. Each participant will complete three experimental conditions in a randomized order: no nap (N0), a 25-minute nap (N25), and a 45-minute nap (N45), with standardized washout periods between sessions. Nap compliance will be objectively monitored using wrist-worn actigraphy. Following each condition, participants will observe a standardized 60-minute post-nap wakefulness period prior to performance testing. Agility performance will be assessed using the Pro Agility Test, and anaerobic endurance will be evaluated using a repeated-sprint ability (RSA) protocol. Psychophysiological measures will include ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), the Hooper Index, visual analogue scales (VAS) for subjective alertness, and mood states assessed via the Profile of Mood States (POMS). These outcomes will be collected to compare responses across nap conditions. Objectives The primary objective of this study is to compare the acute effects of two daytime nap durations (25 minutes vs 45 minutes) on agility performance in adolescent soccer players without a habitual napping routine. Secondary objectives include examining nap-related differences in repeated-sprint performance indices, perceived exertion, subjective alertness, and mood states. Keywords daytime nap; athletic recovery; agility; repeated-sprint ability; perceived exertion; mood; chronotype

Conditions

• Sleep Deprivation
• Athletic Performance
• Fatigue

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Pro Agility Test	The Pro Agility Test (20-yard shuttle run) evaluates change-of-direction speed. Participants started from the center point, ran 5 yards to the left, then 10 yards to the right, and finally 5 yards back to the center. The total distance was 18.28 meters, and the time to complete the sequence was recorded. Agility and RSA timings were recorded using a dual-beam electronic timing system (SmarTracks, Germany) with a sampling frequency of 1,000 Hz, positioned at the start and finish lines at hip level. This minimized human error and ensured millisecond precision.
BEHAVIORAL	Repeated-Sprint Ability (RSA) Test	The RSA test measures an athlete's ability to repeatedly produce maximal sprint efforts with limited recovery. This study employed 6 × 30-meter sprints with 20-second rest intervals between each sprint, a protocol commonly used in team sports to assess anaerobic endurance.
BEHAVIORAL	Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)	RPE was assessed using the Borg Scale (6-20), which captures the participant's subjective effort during physical activity. RPE was recorded immediately after each sprint during the RSA Test, and the average RPE score represented overall perceived exertion for the session.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-05-10
• Primary completion: 2024-05-18
• Completion: 2024-05-18
• First posted: 2026-01-02
• Last updated: 2026-01-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)