Agility, Physical Performance, Quickness, Speed
Conditions
Keywords
physical fitness, cognitive abilities, soccer skills, Sports performance
Brief summary
This study aims to evaluate the effects of Speed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ) training on the physical, cognitive, and skill performance of university soccer major students in China. The hypothesis is that SAQ training will significantly improve students' physical fitness (e.g., speed, agility), cognitive functions (e.g., reaction time, decision-making), and soccer skills (e.g., ball control, passing). The study will recruit 52 university soccer major students, randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group, with 26 students in each group. The study will last for 12 weeks, and tests will be conducted before, during, and after the intervention. The expected outcome is that the intervention group will show superior performance in various tests compared to the control group, thereby validating the effectiveness of SAQ training.
Detailed description
This study adopts a cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) design to evaluate the impact of SAQ training on the physical, cognitive, and skill performance of university soccer major students. The study will recruit 52 eligible university soccer major students, randomly assigned to the intervention group and the control group, with 26 students in each group. The study will last for 12 weeks, with the intervention group undergoing SAQ training three times a week, while the control group continues their regular training. The SAQ training program includes the following components: Warm-up and Cool-down: Each training session begins and ends with a 10-minute warm-up and cool-down to ensure safety. Training Content: The SAQ training includes speed runs, agility exercises, and quick reaction drills, each session lasting 60 minutes. Assessment Metrics: The study will assess students' physical fitness (speed, agility), cognitive functions (reaction time, decision-making), and soccer skills (ball control, passing). Testing Time Points: Pre-test: Initial assessment of all participants before the intervention. Mid-test: Mid-term assessment after 6 weeks of intervention. Post-test: Final assessment after the completion of the intervention. Data Collection and Analysis: Data Collection: Standardized testing methods will be used to assess all participants before, during, and after the intervention. Data Analysis: Data will be analyzed using SPSS software, employing independent sample t-tests and ANOVA to compare differences between the intervention and control groups across various metrics. Quality Assurance and Data Validation: Quality Assurance Plan: An independent quality control team will oversee data collection and entry to ensure accuracy and completeness. Data Validation: Data will be validated by comparing it with external sources (e.g., medical records, paper reports) to ensure authenticity and representativeness. Sample Size Estimation and Statistical Analysis Plan: Sample Size Estimation: Based on preliminary studies, the required sample size is estimated to be 52 to ensure statistical significance of the results. Statistical Analysis Plan: Multivariate regression analysis and other methods will be used to control for confounding variables and analyze the impact of SAQ training on various metrics in detail.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSpeed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ) Training
The SAQ training will include exercises designed to improve speed, agility, and quickness, such as ladder drills, cone drills, sprint drills, and reaction drills.
BEHAVIORALRegular Training
Participants in the control group will follow a standard soccer training regimen, which includes general conditioning exercises, skill drills, and tactical training.
Sponsors
SUN MIN
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
In this study, both the participants and the outcomes assessor will be blinded to the group assignments to prevent bias. Participants will not be informed whether they are receiving SAQ training or regular training, and the outcomes assessor will also be unaware of the group assignments to ensure objective evaluation of the results. Care providers and investigators involved in administering the training sessions will know the group assignments due to the nature of the interventions.
Intervention model description
This study employs a parallel design in which participants are randomly assigned to two independent groups: the intervention group and the control group. Throughout the study, participants in the intervention group will undergo a 12-week Speed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ) training program, conducted three times a week, each session lasting 60 minutes, including 15-20 minutes for warm-up and cool-down. Participants in the control group will continue with their regular training regimen. Tests will be conducted before, during, and after the intervention to assess changes in physical, cognitive, and skill performance. This parallel design ensures a clear evaluation of the SAQ training effects and minimizes confounding variables due to differences in training time and content.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 22 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Male soccer major students (age ≥18 years old) * At least 3 years of professional soccer training * No recent history of surgery or injury * No participation in SAQ training programs within 8 weeks prior to the study * Able to provide written informed consent and willing to participate in the entire study and complete all assessments
Exclusion criteria
* Recent history of fractures or other injuries * Currently participating in an SAQ training program
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Measured by the sit-and-reach test. Results are recorded in centimeters (cm), with higher scores indicating better flexibility. |
| Agility | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Measured by the Arrowhead Agility Test. Results are recorded in seconds (s), with shorter times indicating better agility. |
| Sprint | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Measured by sprints at 5m, 10m, 20m, and 30m. Results are recorded in seconds (s), with shorter times indicating better speed. |
| Upper Body Strength | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Measured by pull-ups. Results are recorded as the number of completed pull-ups, with more pull-ups indicating greater upper body strength. |
| Lower Limb Explosiveness | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Measured by vertical jump. Results are recorded in centimeters (cm), with higher jump heights indicating greater explosiveness. |
| Aerobic Endurance | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Measured by the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 (Yo-Yo2). Results are recorded as maximum distance covered（m）, with higher distances indicating better aerobic endurance. |
| Reaction Time | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Measured by a computerized reaction time test. Results are recorded in milliseconds (ms), with shorter reaction times indicating faster responses. |
| Selective attention | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Through the computer flanker task, the results are recorded in milliseconds (ms), with higher accuracy and shorter reaction time indicating better decision-making ability. |
| Dribbling Agility | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | Measured by the 22-meter slalom dribble test. Results are recorded in seconds (s), with shorter times indicating better dribbling skills. |
| Passing performance | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | When measuring passing performance using the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT), results are recorded as total time and passing accuracy. Total time is measured in seconds (s) and includes the time from the start of the test to the completion of the last pass, including all penalty time. Shorter total times indicate better performance. Passing accuracy is recorded by the number of successful passes into target areas, with more successful passes indicating better passing skills. Penalties are applied as follows: five seconds for completely missing the target area or passing to the wrong target, three seconds for missing the target area, three seconds for handling the ball, two seconds for passing from outside the designated area, and two seconds for the ball touching any cone. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | The height of the participant is recorded, typically measured to two decimal places, in meters (m). |
| Weight | Pre-intervention: Week 0 Mid-intervention: Week 6 Post-intervention: Week 12 | The weight of the participant is recorded, measured to one decimal place, in kilograms (kg). |
Countries
Malaysia
Contacts
Primary ContactMin Sun
Backup ContactKim Geok Soh
Outcome results
None listed