None listed
Conditions
Interventions
Per cooling and acetaminophen and potentiation post activation
Placebo
Sponsors
None listed
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Male
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Male soccer players aged 18–30 years. Currently training and competing at university, semi-professional, or club level. Engaged in regular training (=3 sessions per week) for the past 6 months. Free from musculoskeletal injuries in the past 3 months.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: History of cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, or renal disease. Current use of medications (including analgesics, anti-inflammatories, or supplements) that may interfere with performance or recovery. Known allergy or contraindication to acetaminophen. Current smoker or history of smoking within the last year. Participation in another clinical trial within the past 3 months. Inability to comply with study procedures or testing schedule.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Assessment of Neuromuscular Function of the Quadriceps: EMG activity was recorded from the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), and vastus medialis (VM). The cathode (self-adhesive electrode: Ag-AgCl,10-mm diameter) was positioned firmly on the femoral triangle. The anode, a 10 × 5 cm self-adhesive stimulation electrode (Compex Medical SA, Ecublens, Switzerland) was placed midway between the greater trochanter and the iliac crest. Optimal stimulation intensity was determined from M-wave and force measurements before each testing session. The stimulation intensity was increased by 5 mA until there was no further increase in peak twitch force (i.e., plateau in knee extensor twitch force) and concomitant peak-to-peak maximal M-wave amplitude (M-max). During the subsequent testing procedures, the intensity was set to 150% of this intensity (supramaximal intensity) to avoid the potential confounding effect of axonal hyperpolarization (Burke, 2002). The neuromuscular assessment began with two practices of MVIC to ensure potentiation of subsequent evoked measures, followed by three ~3 s MVICs, all separated by 30 s. For each MVIC, two electrical nerve stimulations were delivered over the femoral nerve. The first stimulation, delivered during the MVIC, was named the superimposed twitch, and the second stimulation, delivered 3 s after the MVIC, was named the potentiated twitch (Qtw,pot). For central fatigue, we calculated changes in voluntary activation (VA) using both superimposed and potentiated twitches amplitude as follows (Daab et al., 2024): VA (%) = [1-( Superimposed twitch/Qtw, pot)] × 100. Twenty-meter sprint times (SP) during the LIST were measured using telemetric photoelectric cells placed at 1 and 20 m | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| In both conditions and at baseline, immediately after half-time (HT) and full-time (FT), participants were asked to report their rate of perceived exertion (RPE) using the Borg 6–20 scale. Muscle soreness (DOMS) was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (extreme pain). Participants assumed the anatomical position with their hands on their hips and were instructed to hold a half-squat position with a 90° knee angle before indicating their perceived soreness. Skin temperature was measured using skin thermistors placed at standardized sites. Thermal comfort was evaluated using a validated thermal comfort scale. Heart rate was continuously monitored using a chest strap sensor. Sprint performance was assessed during the match using standardized sprint tests at specified intervals. | — |
Countries
Tunisia
Contacts
Public ContactMohamed Amine Bouzid
Assistant Professor
Outcome results
None listed