Changes in Peak Fat Oxidation and Aerobic Fitness During Pre-season in Sub-elite Football Players

NCT05061394 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: VentriJect Football Study
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Cross-sectional studies clearly demonstrate that the maximal fat oxidation (MFO, onwards referred to as peak fat oxidation, PFO) and the intensity at which it occurs (Fatmax) are higher in trained compared with untrained men and women (Maunder et al. 2018; Nordby et al. 2006; Lima-Silva et al. 2010). Furthermore, a recent study in endurance-trained males have shown a relationship between PFO and performance in an Ironman triathlon (Frandsen et al. 2017). The interest of PFO and Fatmax in endurance sports is centered on the speculation that increased fat oxidation rates during exercise would benefit endurance performance (\> 4 hours) due to a glycogen sparing effect. Furthermore, it is speculated that the high amount of low-intensity training (70-80%), as seen with elite endurance athletes, might be essential in order to increase the fat oxidation capacity. However, when PFO is compared across an athletic population, football players have similar values as endurance-trained athletes (Randell et al. 2016; Randell et al. 2019; Frandsen et al. 2017), which is somewhat surprising when the different training regimes are considered. It is noteworthy that the variations in PFO in various types of athletes and football players are considerable (Randell et al. 2016). However, different playing position in football has different work requirements, thus it might be that some of the variation seen in PFO could be related to the different playing position. To our knowledge, no study has previously looked at the variations in fat oxidation capacity before and after a training period in athletes. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate changes in peak fat oxidation and aerobic fitness during a pre-season training period in sub-elite football players. A secondary aim is to investigate if the changes are related to specific playing positions on the field. The overall hypothesis is that a pre-season training period would increase the fat oxidation capacity and aerobic fitness, and that the changes are related to specific player positions.

Conditions

Sub-elite Football Players

Keywords

Peak fat oxidation; Aerobic fitness; Football players; Treadmill running; Fatmax; Pre-season training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Changes in Peak Fat Oxidation During Pre-season in Sub-elite Football Players

  Peak Fat Oxidation (PFO) will be measured before and after pre-season in Sub-elite Football players, and pulmonary gas exchange will be measured during the treadmill running protocol as previously described. The fat oxidation rates will be calculated using the stoichiometric equations described by Frayn, with the assumption that urinary nitrogen excretion is negligible: Fat oxidation (g⋅min-1) = (1.67 ⋅ VȮ2) - (1.67 ⋅ V̇CO2). A 3nd-degree polynomial regression will be applied to determine PFO and the intensity at which it occurs (Fatmax) for each test individually. Changes in PFO from baseline and after 8 week pre-season will be measured and reported.

  From January until April

• We will measure Aerobic Fitness before and after a Pre-season in Sub-elite Football Players

  Aerobic Fitness will be measured before and pre-season in Sub-elite Football players, and pulmonary gas exchange measurements will be measured during the treadmill running protocol as previously described. VO2max will be reported both as an absolute value (ml/min) and relative to body-weight (ml/min/kg). The VO2max is determined as the highest value measured over consecutive 30 seconds. Changes in VO2max from baseline and after 8 week pre-season will be measured and reported.

  From January until April

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• To investigate if the possible changes in Peak Fat Oxidation are related to specific playing positions on the field

  From January until April

• To investigate if the possible changes Aerobic Fitness are related to specific playing positions on the field

  From January until April

Study Arms (2)

Second division football players

Players competing in the third best league in Denmark

"Danmarkserien" football players

Players competing in the fourth best league in Denmark

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Sub-elite football players from three local football clubs in the Copenhagen region

You may qualify if:

• Sub-elite football player

You may not qualify if:

• Cardiovascular and/or metabolic disease

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Copenhagen: lead
• VentriJect ApS: collaborator
• University of Southern Denmark: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Xlab, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark

Location

Related Publications (6)

• Randell RK, Carter JM, Jeukendrup AE, Lizarraga MA, Yanguas JI, Rollo I. Fat Oxidation Rates in Professional Soccer Players. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Aug;51(8):1677-1683. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001973.

  PMID: 30845048 BACKGROUND

• Randell RK, Rollo I, Roberts TJ, Dalrymple KJ, Jeukendrup AE, Carter JM. Maximal Fat Oxidation Rates in an Athletic Population. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017 Jan;49(1):133-140. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001084.

  PMID: 27580144 BACKGROUND

• Maunder E, Plews DJ, Kilding AE. Contextualising Maximal Fat Oxidation During Exercise: Determinants and Normative Values. Front Physiol. 2018 May 23;9:599. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00599. eCollection 2018.

  PMID: 29875697 BACKGROUND

• Nordby P, Saltin B, Helge JW. Whole-body fat oxidation determined by graded exercise and indirect calorimetry: a role for muscle oxidative capacity? Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2006 Jun;16(3):209-14. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2005.00480.x.

  PMID: 16643200 BACKGROUND

• Lima-Silva AE, Bertuzzi RC, Pires FO, Gagliardi JF, Barros RV, Hammond J, Kiss MA. Relationship between training status and maximal fat oxidation rate. J Sports Sci Med. 2010 Mar 1;9(1):31-5. eCollection 2010.

  PMID: 24149383 BACKGROUND

• Frandsen J, Vest SD, Larsen S, Dela F, Helge JW. Maximal Fat Oxidation is Related to Performance in an Ironman Triathlon. Int J Sports Med. 2017 Nov;38(13):975-982. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-117178. Epub 2017 Oct 19.

  PMID: 29050040 BACKGROUND

Biospecimen

Retention: SAMPLES WITHOUT DNA

Blood samples

Study Officials

• Jørn W Helge, Professor

  Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 10, 2021
• First Posted: September 29, 2021
• Study Start: January 4, 2021
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2021
• Study Completion: May 30, 2021
• Last Updated: February 15, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

DK (1)