Training load management to reduce injuries in elite youth football

• Register: ISRCTN
• Last refreshed on: 26 October 2020
• Main ID: ISRCTN18177140
• Date of registration: 16/02/2018
• Prospective Registration: No
• Primary sponsor: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
• Public title: Training load management to reduce injuries in elite youth football
• Scientific title: Training load management to reduce injuries in elite youth football: a cluster randomised controlled trial
• Date of first enrolment: 15/01/2018
• Target sample size: 600
• Recruitment status: Completed
• URL: http://isrctn.com/ISRCTN18177140
• Study type: Interventional
• Study design: Single-center cluster randomized controlled trial (Prevention)
• Phase: Not Applicable

Countries of recruitment

Norway

Contacts

• Name: Torstein Dalen

• Name: Torstein Dalen

Key inclusion & exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria:
1. Elite youth footballers competing in one of the three highest levels
2. Both genders
3. Aged 15-19

Exclusion criteria: Unable to communicate in Scandinavian language

Age minimum:
Age maximum:
Gender: Both

Health Condition(s) or Problem(s) studied

Risk of injuries among elite youth footballers
Injury, Occupational Diseases, Poisoning

Intervention(s)

The trialists will cluster randomise on a team level. A computer-generated block randomisation will be performed, with block sizes of 4 and 6 in random order. After a team agrees to participate, the principal investigator will open a sealed envelope revealing their group assignment.

The teams will be randomly allocated to either the intervention group (18 teams, 300 players) or the control group (18 teams, 300 players). Intervention group coaches will be given access to a digital tool for training load management. The coaches will plan their player's training weeks based on a progression model. The control group is asked to continue normal training activity. The total duration of intervention and follow-up is 11 months.

Primary Outcome(s)

Prevalence of health problems (percentage of players reporting a health issue), collected using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire via an SMS system on the last Sunday of each month

Secondary Outcome(s)

Incidence of injuries, collected through previously reported method (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27034126) where the teams provide all time-loss injuries and illnesses

Secondary ID(s)

93841844

Source(s) of Monetary Support

Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center

Ethics review

Status:
Approval date:
Contact:

The Norwegian School of Sciences Ethics Board, 21/12/2017, ref: 39-191217

Results

• Results available: Yes
• Date Completed: 30/11/2018