Effects of Visualization Technique Compared to Combined Stretching Protocol in Racquet Sports.

NCT07028931 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: REC 02059 ARINA ASAD
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 52
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study intends to compare the effects of visualization technique with combined stretching protocol on racquet sports players to find out how these protocols affect their performance and mindfulness.

Conditions

Sport Injury

Keywords

visualization technique; mental imagery; combined stretching protocol; mindfulness; performance; racquet sports

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mindfulness and Performance

  This will assess the player's ability to stay focused and present in a moment during play and their performance, i.e., their ability to make decisions and their precision and accuracy in gameplay.

  6 weeks approximately after the study starts

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Combined Stretching Protocol

  6 weeks approximately after the study starts

Study Arms (2)

Visualization Technique

EXPERIMENTAL

This will include the visualization group, i.e., group A, which will receive the mental imagery technique, which will take 15-20 minutes. Participants will be asked to start the session with breathing exercises, then move on to the visualization of the exercises, and then end the session with the visualization of the cool-down exercises. In Group A, participants will only visualize the protocol and will not perform it physically.

Behavioral: Visualization technique

Combined Stretching Technique

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

In Group B, the participants will be asked to perform a combined stretching protocol, which will include a warm-up, the combined stretching protocol, i.e., hip flexor and hamstring combo, calf and Achilles stretch and spinal twist, and arm extension movements, and then the cool-down exercises, which will include hip flexor stretch, quadriceps stretch and calf stretch, biceps stretch, and triceps stretch. This protocol will take 20 minutes.

Other: Combined Stretching Protocol

Interventions

Visualization technique BEHAVIORAL

In GROUP A, i.e., visualization technique Athletes will be shown a video of stretching protocols and then will be asked to visualize those exercises, the total session time will be approximately 20 minutes which will be divided into three phases: pre-Session visualization (5-10 minutes) which will begin with 1-2 minutes of deep breathing and mental preparation to start visualization technique then players will be asked to visualize dynamic stretching (leg swings, arm circles, and lunges) and static stretching (hamstring and shoulder stretch) for 2-3 minutes each. Then begins the during session visualization phase (1-2 minutes per stretch) the players will be asked to pause before each stretch to visualize the movements, muscle engagement and the feeling of stretch and the transit between the stretches and then last comes the post session phase of visualization (5 minutes) this will involve visualization of cool down exercises like spinal twist, bicep stretch, triceps and hip stretch.

Visualization Technique

Combined Stretching Protocol OTHER

GROUP B will receive Combined stretching training protocol. The overall duration will be 20 minutes starting from warm up (5-7 minutes) which will include light jogging arm swings, leg swings and lunges, hamstring and shoulder stretches then followed by combined stretching movements (8-10 minutes) this will include hip flexor and hamstring combo, calf and Achilles stretch and spinal twist and arm extension movements and ending with a cool down protocol (5-7 minutes) which will include hip flexor stretch, quadriceps stretch and calf stretch, bicep and triceps stretch.

Combined Stretching Technique

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Males.
• Age 20 to 40 years.
• Not being able to concentrate/ focus well on the game.
• Amateur players with at least 1 year experience of playing Racquet sports.
• No current injuries or medical conditions that could affect participation in physical activities.
• Commitment to attend all training sessions and assessments

You may not qualify if:

• Players who are already familiar with visualization technique
• Recent chronic injuries that could impair performance or participation
• History of psychological disorder that might interfere with the training and assessment.
• Participation in other competitive sports that might confound the effects of intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Pakistan Sports Board

Islamabad, Punjab Province, 44000, Pakistan

Location

Study Officials

• Riafat Mehmood, PhD*

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Two groups will be formed. One group will be the visualization group, i.e., group A which will receive the mental imagery technique, which will take 15-20 minutes. Participants will be asked to start the session with breathing exercises, then move on to the visualization of the exercises, and then end the session with the visualization of the cool-down exercises. In Group A, participants will only visualize the protocol and will not perform it physically. In Group B, the participants will be asked to perform combined stretching protocol which will include warm-up, the protocol and then the cool-down exercises. This protocol will take 20 minutes. After performance readings will be taken in the 1st, 3rd and 6th weeks and data will be compared to find out which method is more effective to improve mindfulness and performance in racquet sports players.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 1, 2025
• First Posted: June 19, 2025
• Study Start: January 28, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 9, 2025
• Study Completion: April 23, 2025
• Last Updated: February 19, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)