Acute Effects of a Brief Low-Load Core Activation Warm-Up on Football-Specific Technical Performance in Male Youth Players

NCT07639190 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 20.478.476/3469
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study examined whether a brief, low-load core activation warm-up would acutely improve football-specific technical performance compared with a conventional dynamic warm-up in male youth football players. Twenty-four players (aged 15-16 years) completed both warm-up conditions in a single-session, counterbalanced crossover design separated by a 10-minute passive recovery period. Following each warm-up, players performed standardised tests of dribbling speed, passing accuracy, shooting accuracy, and ball control. The study was designed as an exploratory pilot to estimate effect sizes and inform the design of a future definitive trial.

Conditions

Athletic Performance; Warm-Up Exercise

Keywords

core activation; youth football; technical performance; crossover design; post-activation performance enhancement; warm-up

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Dribbling Time

  Time to complete a standardised slalom dribbling test (8 cones, 2 m apart). Best of 2 trials recorded in seconds using a handheld stopwatch. Lower time indicates better performance.

  Within 3-5 minutes after each warm-up condition

• Passing Accuracy

  Accuracy percentage from a target-based passing test (6 passes from 10 m toward a 1.5 m-wide target). Higher percentage indicates better performance.

  Within 3-5 minutes after each warm-up condition

• Shooting Accuracy

  Accuracy percentage from a target-based shooting test (5 shots from 11 m toward 1x1 m corner targets). Higher percentage indicates better performance.

  Within 3-5 minutes after each warm-up condition

• Ball Control

  Total successful first-touch contacts within a 2x2 m area in a standardised ball control test. Higher count indicates better performance.

  Within 3-5 minutes after each warm-up condition

Study Arms (2)

Core Activation First (Sequence AB)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants first completed the core activation warm-up, followed by a 10-minute passive recovery, then completed the conventional dynamic warm-up.

Other: Core Activation Warm-Up; Other: Conventional Dynamic Warm-Up

Conventional First (Sequence BA)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants first completed the conventional dynamic warm-up, followed by a 10-minute passive recovery, then completed the core activation warm-up.

Other: Core Activation Warm-Up; Other: Conventional Dynamic Warm-Up

Interventions

Core Activation Warm-Up OTHER

A brief (\~8-10 min) body-weight core activation protocol consisting of front plank (2x25s), side plank (2x20s each side), glute bridge (2x10 reps), dead bug (2x8 reps each side), and bird-dog (2x8 reps each side), with 10-15 s rest between sets.

Conventional First (Sequence BA); Core Activation First (Sequence AB)

Conventional Dynamic Warm-Up OTHER

A duration-matched (\~8-10 min) conventional warm-up consisting of dynamic leg swings, walking lunges, high knees, butt kicks, and low-intensity running drills.

Conventional First (Sequence BA); Core Activation First (Sequence AB)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 16 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Male youth football players registered in an organised football academy
• Minimum of 2 years of football training history
• Regular participation in training (≥3 sessions per week)
• Free from acute musculoskeletal injury at the time of testing

You may not qualify if:

• History of lower limb, trunk, or spinal injury within 6 months prior to testing
• Participation in a competitive match or high-intensity training within 48 hours prior to testing

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Inonu University: lead
• Manisa Celal Bayar University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Manisa Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

Manisa, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Inonu University

Model Details: All participants completed both conditions (core activation warm-up and conventional warm-up) in a single session separated by a 10-minute passive recovery period. Condition order was counterbalanced using a computer-generated random number list with a 1:1 allocation ratio (Sequence AB: core activation first; Sequence BA: conventional first).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 5, 2026
• First Posted: June 10, 2026
• Study Start: November 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 1, 2025
• Study Completion: November 1, 2025
• Last Updated: June 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)