Isometric vs Dynamic Copenhagen Adduction Exercise in Football Players

NCT07314671 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 60372/01-07-2025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 42
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Hip adductor strength training is important for groin injuries rehabilitation and prevention. A widely used exercise is the Copenhagen Adduction (CA) exercise. The current study will include young football players (12-16 yrs) individually randomised into two CA groups (isometric, dynamic) training 2 times per week for 6 weeks. Both groups will use 2 sets per side and a range of 6-12 repetitions. Maximal eccentric (EHAD) and isometric (IHAD) hip adduction torque, jump and sprint capacity, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and perceived exertion will be recorded. A minimum of 42 participants will be required.

Conditions

Groin Injuries

Keywords

Groin, exercise training, Copenhagen Adduction, football

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Eccentric hip adductor torque

  Maximal eccentric (EHAD) hip adduction torque. Players' strength will be measured in Newtons, leg length in centimeters, and weight in kilograms. These measures will be combined for eccentric torque (Nm/kg) to be recorded and analysed.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

• Isometric hip adduction torque

  Maximal isometric (IHAD) hip adduction torque. Players' strength will be measured in Newtons, leg length in centimeters, and weight in kilograms. These measures will be combined for isometric torque (Nm/kg) to be recorded and analysed.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Jump performance

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

• Sprint capacity

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

• Delayed onset muscle soreness

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

• Perceived exertion

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Dynamic Copenhagen Adduction (DCA)

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Exercise

Isometric Copenhagen Adduction (ICA)

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Exercise

Interventions

Exercise OTHER

Both groups (DCA, ICA) will perform 2 weekly sessions, 2 sets per side, 6-12 repetitions

Dynamic Copenhagen Adduction (DCA); Isometric Copenhagen Adduction (ICA)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years - 16 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy male soccer players between 12 and 16 years old systematically (≥4 times per week) participating in training and games

You may not qualify if:

• musculoskeletal injury and/or neurological disorder that would affect strength and/or athletic performance testing, and/or exercise execution.
• adductor muscle injury within 6 months before study initiation.
• groin pain greater than 2/10 on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) during strength and/or athletic performance testing, and/or during exercise execution.
• any systematic strength training of the adductor muscles during the last month prior to study initiation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of West Attica: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of West Attica

Athens, Greece, 12243, Greece

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Polglass G, Burrows A, Willett M. Impact of a modified progressive Copenhagen adduction exercise programme on hip adduction strength and postexercise muscle soreness in professional footballers. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2019 Oct 15;5(1):e000570. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000570. eCollection 2019.

  PMID: 31673404 BACKGROUND

• Serner A, Jakobsen MD, Andersen LL, Holmich P, Sundstrup E, Thorborg K. EMG evaluation of hip adduction exercises for soccer players: implications for exercise selection in prevention and treatment of groin injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2014 Jul;48(14):1108-14. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091746. Epub 2013 Mar 19.

  PMID: 23511698 BACKGROUND

• Pippas C, Gioftsos G, Korakakis V, Serner A. Strength effects of the Copenhagen adduction exercise vs an adductor squeeze exercise in male football players - A randomized controlled trial. Sci Med Footb. 2025 Nov;9(4):382-391. doi: 10.1080/24733938.2024.2419659. Epub 2024 Oct 24.

  PMID: 39444266 BACKGROUND

• Haroy J, Thorborg K, Serner A, Bjorkheim A, Rolstad LE, Holmich P, Bahr R, Andersen TE. Including the Copenhagen Adduction Exercise in the FIFA 11+ Provides Missing Eccentric Hip Adduction Strength Effect in Male Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Sports Med. 2017 Nov;45(13):3052-3059. doi: 10.1177/0363546517720194. Epub 2017 Aug 14.

  PMID: 28806100 BACKGROUND

Related Links

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MeSH Terms

Interventions

Exercise

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Christos Pippas

  University of West Attica

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Model Details: The participants will be assigned to either a dynamic (DCA) or an isometric (ICA) Copenhagen Adduction exercise group and perform a progressive exercise protocol for 6 weeks during at the club's training facilities.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 19, 2025
• First Posted: January 2, 2026
• Study Start: January 10, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 15, 2025
• Study Completion: May 1, 2025
• Last Updated: April 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
• Time Frame: Beginning after publication with no end date
• Access Criteria: The data that support the findings of this study will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request

Locations

GR (1)