Clinical Research Directory

ACUTE EFFECTS OF HIGH-INTENSITY LASER THERAPY ON PAIN, MUSCLE STIFFNESS, AND GRIP STRENGTH IN HEALTHY ADULTS

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether high-intensity laser therapy applied before exercise reduces the loss of handgrip strength, muscle stiffness, and pain after a tiring forearm exercise in healthy adults. This therapy delivers laser light through the skin to the underlying tissues. The main questions this study aims to answer are: Does laser therapy reduce the loss of handgrip strength after exercise compared with placebo treatment? Does laser therapy reduce the increase in forearm muscle stiffness after exercise? Does laser therapy reduce pain after exercise? Researchers will compare active laser therapy with placebo laser treatment to assess whether the active treatment affects the muscles' response to exercise. Each participant will receive both treatments on separate visits. The order of treatments will be assigned by chance. Participants will attend two laboratory visits at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Slovenia. At one visit, they will receive active laser therapy over the muscles that bend the wrist in their dominant forearm. At the other visit, they will receive placebo treatment over the same area. At each visit, participants will: Rest before the initial measurements. Have their handgrip strength, forearm muscle stiffness, and pain measured before treatment. Receive active laser therapy or placebo treatment. Wait five minutes before starting the exercise procedure. Complete a wrist-strength test, then hold a muscle contraction at half of their maximum wrist-bending strength until they can no longer maintain the required force. Have their handgrip strength, muscle stiffness, and pain measured again immediately after exercise and five and fifteen minutes later. Handgrip strength will be measured by squeezing a handheld device. Muscle stiffness will be measured using a device that applies a brief, gentle mechanical tap to the skin over the muscle. Participants will rate their pain using a visual scale. Participants will be asked to avoid strenuous physical activity for at least 24 hours before each visit and to keep their diet and regular supplement use similar before both visits. The main outcome is the change in handgrip strength from before treatment to after exercise. Changes in muscle stiffness and pain will also be compared between the two treatments. Researchers expect active laser therapy to result in a smaller decrease in handgrip strength and smaller increases in muscle stiffness and pain than placebo treatment.

Multimodal Machine Learning for Predicting Reduced Participation in Elite Youth Football

This study protocol describes a prospective longitudinal observational study designed to evaluate the accuracy of machine learning models in predicting the short-term (24-72 h) risk of reduced participation (training modification or absence due to health complaints, injury, or illness) among elite youth football players (categories U16 to U19). Full participation in training and matches is a key determinant of athletic development and squad availability in elite youth football. Conventional injury surveillance typically reduces athlete availability to a binary time-loss state and overlooks the continuum on which athletes remain active despite emerging fatigue, minor musculoskeletal complaints, or functional limitations. In this study, continuous multimodal monitoring integrates external training and match locomotion (Catapult Vector 10 Hz GNSS / 100 Hz IMU), nocturnal autonomic nervous regulation (WHOOP 5.0 wrist-worn photoplethysmography evaluating resting heart rate, heart rate variability RMSSD, and sleep architecture), daily subjective wellness (AMS Hooper Index: sleep quality, stress, fatigue, mood, and muscle soreness), weekly neuromuscular screening (VALD ForceDecks countermovement jumps and NordBord hamstring strength), and anthropometrics with biological maturation offset. Participation status is adjudicated daily by designated coaching and medical staff. The primary objective is to develop, compare, and internally validate short-term prediction models for the onset transition from full participation to reduced participation, formulated as a single one-step discrete-time hazard read coherently across 24-, 48-, and 72-hour operational horizons. The study aims to evaluate explainable machine learning models (Survival XGBoost, GAMM with SHAP/LIME interpretation) to support training load management and injury risk mitigation within elite academies.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in High-level Volleyball Players During Fatigue

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if tDCS works to treat fatigue state in athletes. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does tDCS on the physical performance in high-level volleyball players during dual fatigue. What montages have the best effects on fatigue state. Researchers will compare tDCS to a placebo (sham stimulation) to see if tDCS have the effects on fatigue state in athletes. Participants will: Received four 10 min sessions tDCS in counterbalanced order.

Cluster Versus Traditional Plyometric Training in Young Soccer Players

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of two different plyometric training methods (cluster sets versus traditional sets) on young male soccer players. The study investigates how these two training structures affect players' jumping performance, muscle fatigue, heart rate, blood lactate levels, and how hard they feel they are working (perceived exertion). Twenty amateur soccer players performed two jump training sessions on separate days. One session used a traditional method (3 sets of 9 jumps with 80 seconds rest between sets), and the other used a cluster method (9 sets of 3 jumps with 20 seconds rest between sets). Both methods involved the same total number of jumps (27 jumps) and the same total rest time (160 seconds). The goal is to determine if breaking the exercise into smaller "clusters" with more frequent, shorter rests helps athletes maintain their explosive power better and reduces fatigue compared to the traditional method.

The Effect of Different Acoustic Conditions on 6-Minute Walk Test Performance and Recovery

Study Design: Randomized Cross-Over Study Objective: This study aims to compare the acute effects of three different auditory conditions (metronome, binaural beats, and silent control) on 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) performance, post-exercise recovery physiology, and perceived exertion in healthy young adults. Background: Auditory-motor coupling mechanisms suggest that rhythmic auditory stimuli can lower the excitation threshold of motor neurons, thereby enhancing walking efficiency. Rhythmic stimuli such as metronomes are known to improve walking speed and coordination. Binaural beats are an auditory stimulus type generated by presenting two tones of slightly different frequencies to each ear, triggering cortical neural entrainment. It has been reported that listening to binaural beats at theta frequency following exercise increases parasympathetic activation and accelerates recovery. This study aims to examine these two auditory stimuli in comparison with a control condition in healthy young adults. Participants: Healthy young adults aged 18-35 who can walk independently and have no cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, or musculoskeletal conditions. Minimum sample size will be calculated using G\*Power following a pilot study, with a 20% dropout margin added. Randomization: All participants will be exposed to all three conditions on separate days. The order of application will be determined by computer-based simple randomization (randomizer.org). Six possible sequence combinations will be used to balance order effects. A washout period of at least 24 hours will be applied between sessions. Interventions: Metronome Condition: Each participant's natural walking cadence will be measured, and the metronome tempo will be set at 110% of this baseline value. Binaural Beats Condition: A carrier frequency of 120 Hz will be delivered to the right ear and 100 Hz to the left ear, generating a 20 Hz binaural beat in the Beta frequency band. Participants will listen for 6 minutes at rest immediately before the walking test. Control Condition: No auditory stimulus will be applied. The 6MWT will be conducted in all conditions along a 30-meter flat corridor in accordance with ATS/ERS standards. Measurement Time Points: Pre-test, immediately post-test, and at the 1st, 3rd, and 5th minutes of the recovery period. Outcome Measures: Primary: Total distance covered during 6MWT (meters), walking cadence (steps/min) Secondary: Heart rate, blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂), perceived dyspnea, general fatigue, and quadriceps femoris muscle fatigue assessed via the Modified Borg Scale Statistical Analysis: One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA for walking distance and cadence; Two-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA (condition × time) for physiological parameters; Friedman test for Borg scale data; Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc tests where significant differences are found. Significance level set at p\<0.05. Study Duration: April - June 2026 (3 months)

Effect of AI-Assisted Respiratory Training on Pain, Fatigue and Respiratory Parameters in Patients After Open Heart Surgery

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effect of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted respiratory training on fatigue, pain, and respiratory parameters in patients after open heart surgery.

Vibrational Percussion Massage Improves Rectus Femoris Mechanical Properties and Sports Performance in Physically Active Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if vibrational percussion massage (VPM) improves rectus femoris mechanical properties and sports performance after muscle fatigue in physically active adults. It will also examine the immediate effects of VPM on muscle function and recovery. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does VPM improve the mechanical properties of the rectus femoris muscle after fatigue? * Does VPM improve knee extensor strength and triple-hop performance after fatigue? Researchers will compare measurements obtained before fatigue, after fatigue, and after a VPM intervention to evaluate the effects of VPM on muscle recovery and sports performance. Participants will: * Perform a fatigue protocol targeting the lower extremity muscles. * Receive a 5-minute VPM intervention after the fatigue protocol. * Complete assessments of rectus femoris mechanical properties using a myotonemeter. * Perform maximal isometric knee extensor strength and triple-hop distance tests at three time points: before fatigue, after fatigue, and after VPM intervention.

Neuromuscular Effects of Acute Fatigue in Adolescent Basketball

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the effects of acute fatigue on neuromuscular control and performance parameters in professional adolescent basketball players and to determine the relationship between fatigue level and neuromuscular control variables. As a secondary aim, the study seeks to examine whether these effects differ according to sex. The research hypotheses are as follows. The null hypothesis (H1-0) states that acute fatigue has no significant effect on neuromuscular control parameters in adolescent basketball players, including balance performance, landing mechanics, ground contact time, and asymmetry ratios. The alternative hypothesis (H1-1) proposes that acute fatigue has a significant effect on these neuromuscular control parameters. The second null hypothesis (H2-0) states that the effects of acute fatigue on neuromuscular control parameters do not differ according to sex. The alternative hypothesis (H2-1) suggests that the effects of acute fatigue on neuromuscular control parameters differ according to sex.

The Effect of Bathing in the Thermal Mineral Water on the Pain and Performance of Athletes

Effect of bathing in the thermal mineral water well on the performance and potential pain of athletes. Randomized, controlled, single-blind study.