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The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of varying friendly match-play exposure during the late pre-season on physiological, biochemical, and performance adaptations in soccer players. It is hypothesized that (i) significant changes will occur across the pre-season in both the extended- and limited-play groups when analysed independently; (ii) distinct group-specific adaptations will emerge by the end of the preparatory period; and (iii) match-play exposure, when analysed across all participants, will be significantly correlated with physiological and performance outcomes at pre-season completion. Players from a randomly selected team will be assessed at three time points: pre-season start, mid-pre-season (MPS), and pre-competition phase (PC). Assessments will include anthropometry, physical performance, and markers of muscle damage, inflammation, hormonal status, and haematology. Based on the total match-play time of 8 friendly games during the late pre-season, players will be retrospectively categorised into extended-play (EP) and limited-play (LP) cohorts.time of 8 friendly games during the late pre-season, players will be retrospectively categorised into extended-play (EP) and limited-play (LP) cohorts.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extended-Play | Participants with higher cumulative friendly match-play exposure during the late pre-season phase. |
| |
| Limited-Play | Participants with lower cumulative friendly match-play exposure during the late pre-season phase. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendly Match-Play Exposure: extended vs. limited | Other | This research explores the multidimensional physiological and biochemical responses to differing volumes of friendly match-play (i.e., extended vs. limited) during the late pre-season phase in soccer players. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Body Mass | Description: Body mass measured at standard anatomical sites using a calibrated scale to track longitudinal changes over the pre-season. Unit of Measure: kg | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Body Fat | Description: Body fat percentage measured using skinfold calipers at standard sites to monitor longitudinal changes. Unit of Measure: % | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) | Description: Participants rate exertion during standardized training sessions using the Borg Scale (6 = no exertion, 20 = maximal exertion). Unit of Measure: Borg 6-20 scale | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Glucose | Description: Fasting blood glucose measured to track metabolic changes over pre-season. Unit of Measure: mg/dL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Cholesterol | Description: Total serum cholesterol measured to assess lipid profile adaptations. Unit of Measure: mg/dL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Triglycerides | Description: Serum triglycerides measured to monitor metabolic response to training. Unit of Measure: mg/dL |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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All participants are highly active soccer players (i.e., >1000 MET-min·week-¹) and compete at national-level standards.
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| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Physical Education and Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | Athens | Daphni | 17237 | Greece |
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Whole blood (for haematological, endocrine, inflammatory, and muscle damage markers)
| Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| SGOT (AST) | Description: Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase measured to assess liver/muscle stress. Unit of Measure: U/L | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| SGPT (ALT) | Description: Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase measured to monitor liver/muscle stress. Unit of Measure: U/L | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) | Description: CPK measured to detect skeletal muscle damage. Unit of Measure: U/L | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Myoglobin | Description: Myoglobin measured as a marker of muscle damage. Unit of Measure: ng/mL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Iron | Description: Serum iron measured to assess iron status. Unit of Measure: µg/dL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Ferritin | Description: Serum ferritin measured to monitor iron storage. Unit of Measure: ng/mL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) | Description: CRP measured as a marker of systemic inflammation. Unit of Measure: mg/L | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) | Description: hs-CRP measured to detect low-grade inflammation. Unit of Measure: mg/L | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Interleukin-6 (IL-6) | Description: IL-6 measured from serum to assess inflammatory response. Unit of Measure: pg/mL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) | Description: TNF-α measured as a marker of systemic inflammation. Unit of Measure: pg/mL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Testosterone | Description: Serum testosterone measured to assess hormonal adaptations. Unit of Measure: ng/dL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Cortisol | Description: Serum cortisol measured to monitor stress response. Unit of Measure: µg/dL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Testosterone-Cortisol Ratio | Description: Calculated ratio to estimate anabolic-catabolic balance. Unit of Measure: Ratio | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Red Blood Cells (RBC) | Description: RBC count measured from blood to assess oxygen transport capacity. Unit of Measure: million cells/µL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Hemoglobin | Description: Hemoglobin measured to evaluate oxygen-carrying capacity. Unit of Measure: g/dL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Hematocrit | Description: Hematocrit measured as percentage of RBC in blood. Unit of Measure: % | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| White Blood Cells (WBC) | Description: WBC count measured to monitor immune function. Unit of Measure: cells/µL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Platelets | Description: Platelet count measured to assess hematological health. Unit of Measure: cells/µL | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Countermovement Jump Height | Description: Jump height measured (cm) to assess lower-limb explosive power. Unit of Measure: cm | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Knee Extensor Power, Dominant Leg | Description: Measured using isokinetic dynamometer. Unit of Measure: Watts | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Knee Extensor Power, Non-Dominant Leg | Description: Measured using isokinetic dynamometer. Unit of Measure: Watts | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Knee Flexor Power, Dominant Leg | Description: Measured using isokinetic dynamometer. Unit of Measure: Watts | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| Knee Flexor Power, Non-Dominant Leg | Description: Measured using isokinetic dynamometer. Unit of Measure: Watts | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| 10-m Sprint Time | Description: Sprint time measured using photocell gates; lower times indicate better performance. Unit of Measure: seconds | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| T-Test Agility | Description: Participants perform T-test agility course; lower times indicate better agility. Unit of Measure: seconds | Each measure assessed at Baseline (pre-season start), 4 weeks (mid-pre-season), and 8 weeks (pre-competition phase). |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D007249 | Inflammation |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D010335 | Pathologic Processes |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |
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