Core Stability Training With Balloon Breathing on Balance and Performance in Football Players

NCT07387029 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IRB-COHS-STD-117-Dec-2025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 68
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Football players require good core strength and balance to perform well and reduce the risk of injury. The muscles of the trunk and diaphragm play an important role in maintaining stability, posture, and movement control during sports activities. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of core stability training combined with balloon breathing exercises on dynamic balance, hop performance, and core endurance in professional football players. Balloon breathing exercises are designed to improve diaphragmatic breathing and trunk muscle activation. Eligible football players will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group will receive core stability training combined with balloon breathing exercises along with regular football training, while the other group will receive core stability training with regular football training only. The intervention will be performed three times per week for eight weeks under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Outcome measures, including dynamic balance, hop performances, core endurance, and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), will be assessed at baseline, during the intervention, at the end of the program, and at a three-month follow-up. The findings of this study may help improve training strategies aimed at enhancing performance and reducing injury risk in football players.

Conditions

Dynamic Balance, Hop Performance and Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV) in Professional Football Players

Keywords

Dynamic balance; Diaphragmatic breathing; Core stability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Dynamic Balance (Y-Balance Test)

  Dynamic balance will be assessed using the Y-Balance Test. Reach distances in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions will be measured and normalized to leg length.

  Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Core Muscle Endurance

  Baseline and 8 weeks

• Lower Limb Hop Performance

  Baseline and 8 weeks

• Vertical Jump Height

  Baseline and 8 weeks

• maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV)

  Baseline and 8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Core Stability Training With Balloon Breathing

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive a structured core stability training program combined with balloon breathing exercises along with regular football training for 8 weeks.

Other: Core Stability Training; Other: Balloon Breathing Exercise

Core Stability Training Only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants receive the same structured core stability training program without balloon breathing exercises, along with regular football training for 8 weeks.

Other: Core Stability Training

Interventions

Core Stability Training OTHER

McGill's Big Three core stability exercises including curl-up, side bridge, and bird-dog exercises performed three times per week for eight weeks, with progression to unstable surfaces as tolerated.

Core Stability Training Only; Core Stability Training With Balloon Breathing

Balloon Breathing Exercise OTHER

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise involving controlled inhalation through the nose and prolonged exhalation into a balloon while maintaining trunk engagement, performed alongside core exercises for eight weeks.

Core Stability Training With Balloon Breathing

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 28 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Male professional football players aged 18 to 35 years
• Currently playing at club level
• Free from musculoskeletal injury for at least 6 months prior to enrollment
• Willing to participate and provide written informed consent
• Able to participate in regular football training and exercise programs

You may not qualify if:

• Current musculoskeletal injury or pain affecting training or performance
• History of lower limb or spinal surgery within the past year
• Any neurological, cardiovascular, or respiratory condition that limits physical activity
• Participation in any structured core stability or breathing training program within the past 3 months
• Female players

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Gulf Medical University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Gulf medical University

Ajman, Al Jurf, United Arab Emirates

Location

Related Links

• The effect of core stability training on ball-kicking velocity, sprint speed, and agility in adolescent male football players
• Core stability training for injury prevention
• Effects of neuromuscular training on athletes physical fitness in sports: A systematic review
• Effects of McGill stabilization exercises and conventional physiotherapy on pain, functional disability and active back range of motion in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain
• Revisiting the continuum model of tendon pathology: what is its merit in clinical practice and research?
• Management of patellar tendinopathy: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised studies
• Treatment of patellar tendinopathy--a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Central Study Contacts

Rajaskar Sannasi

CONTACT

+971508365724; dr.rajasekar@gmu.ac.ae

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 22, 2026
• First Posted: February 4, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Last Updated: February 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Locations

AE (1)